Litchfield enquirer., 1846-12-24
BLACK HOLE OF CALCUTTA.

The suffcrings of one hundred and forty six English prisoners in what has beencal- led the Black Hole of Calcutta has often been described but by no one more forcibly than by Macaulay in an article on Malcom's Life of Lord Give.
 Suraiah Dawlah, nabob of Bengal, who is described as monster of cruelty, having taken the city of Calcutta, which was feebly carrisoned, caused the prisoners to be brought before him and after abusing the insolence of the English, and grumbling about the smalluess of the treasures he had found, promised to spare their lives. But how the pledge was redeemed will be seen by the following.
 sThe English captivcs were left to the mercy of the guards, and the guards deter mined to secure them for the night in the prison of the garrison, a chamber known by the fearful name of Black Hole. Even for single European m alefactor. that dungeon would, in such climate. have been too close and narorw. The space was only twenty feet square. The air holes were small and ob. structcd. It was the summer solstice-the season when the fierce heat of Bengal can scarcely be rendered tolerable to the native of England by lofty halls and constant wa wing of fans. The number of prisoners was one hundred and forty six. When they were ordered to eu:er the cell, they imagined the soldiers were joking; and being in high spirits on account of the promise of the na- bob to spare their lives, they laughed and tested at the absurdity of the notion. They soon discovered their mistake.-They ex' postulated, they entreated: but in vain. The guards threatened to cut down all that hesi- tated The captives were driven into the cell at the point of the sword, and the door was instantly shut and locked upon them.'
 Nothing in history or fiction not even the story which Ugolino told in the sea of everlasting ice, after he had wiped his bloody lips on the scalp of his murderer pproaCh- es the horrors which were recounted by the few survivors of that night. They cried for mercy. They strove to burs. the door. Holwell, who, even in that extremity retain ed some presence ofmind, offered large bribes to the iailorS. But the answer was that nothing could be done without the nabob's orders that he was asleep and would be angry if any body awoke him. Then the prisoners went mad with despair. They irampled each other down, fought for the places at the windows, fought for the pit tance of water with which the cuel mercy of the murderers mocked their agones- raved, prayed, and blasphemed-and implo- red the guards to fire among them. The iailors, in the mean time held lights to the bars. and shouted with laughter at the fran tic struggles of ,heiI victims. At length the tumul, died away in low gasps and meanings. The day broke-;he nabob had slept of his debauch, and permitted the door to be opened. Butit was some time before soldiers could make lane for the survivors, by piling up on each side the corpses. on which the burnihg ciimale had already be- gun to do its loathsome work. When at length passage was made. twenty three phasIlv figures, such as their own mothers would not have known, staggered one by che ous of inc charnel house. A pit was in stanlly dug. The dead bodies, one bbudred anA twenty. three in number, wers flung iHto is paoaisuously, sad e0vered up.