The infamous ''Black Hole of Calcutta'' incident - was it a fact or a myth? A recent report quite definitely suggested that it was indeed a figment of imperial imagination. However, a full-view book made recently available at Googlebooks, has a proof showing that the tragedy did take place. See ''INDIA TRACTS'' by John Zephaniah Holwell, Esq. FRS. and Friends; (1774), containing among other write-ups, an account of the events that took place on that day. It concludes with a list of names of those who died and those who survived. I'm copying out that short list here -- it may be new to some of our readers. I have retained the original spellings, but have changed the old letter ''s'' that looked like ''f'' to our modern ''s''. ''INDIA TRACTS'' by John Zephaniah Holwell 3rd edition, Revised and Corrected, with additions. LONDON: Printed, for T. Becket, Corner of the Adelphi, in the Strand. MDCCLXXIV IV. A Narrative of the deplorable Deaths of the English Gentlemen who were suffocated in the Black Hole in Fort William, at Calcutta, June 1756. (internal page Nos. 417 and 418): Quote LIST of the Smothered in the Black-Hole Prison, exclusive of Sixty-nine, (consisting of Dutch and English Serjeants (sic), Corporals, Soldiers, Topaz's (sic), Militia, Whites and Portugueze, whose Names I am unacquainted with), making on the whole, One hundred and twenty-three Persons. Of Council: E. Eyre and Wm. Baillie, Esquires, The Reverend Jervas Bellamy. Gentlemen in the Service: Messrs. Jenks, Harod, Revely, P. Johnstone, Law, Ballard, Coales, (Enf. Mil.), N. Drake, Valicourt, Carse, Jeb, Knapton, Toriano, Gosling, E. Page, Bing, S. Page, Dod, Grub, Dalrymple, Street. Military Captains: Clayton, Witherington, Buchanan. Lieutenants: Bishop, Simson, Hays, Bellamy, Blagg. Ensigns: Paccard, C. Wedderburn, Scot, Dumbleton (Enf. Mil.), Hastings. Serjeants, and Co. (Serjeants of Militia): Serjeant Major Abraham, Quarter-Master Serjeant Cartwright Bleau. Sea Captains: Hunt Osburne Purnell (survived the night, but died the next day), Messrs. Carey, Stephenson, W. Parker, Guy, Porter, Caulker, Bendall, Atkinson, Leech, &c. &c. LIST of those who Survived the Black Hole Prison: Messrs. Holwell, Court Secretary Cooke, Lushington, Burdet, Enf. Walcott, Mrs. Carey, Capt. Mills, Capt. Dickson, Mr. Moran, John Meadows, and 12 Military and Militia Blacks and Whites, some of whom recovered when the door was open. Unquote ================== ----- Harshawardhan_Bosham Nimkhedkar Nagpur, India