marched with an army, took Calcutta, and threw the garrison into a dungeon. In the burning climate of India, and crowded into a narrow space without ventilation, the miserable Englishmen endured all the horrors of suffocation. Their afflicting cries touched the hearts of the Hindoos who were keeping guard over them, but the Subah was asleep, and no person in Bengal dared to disturb his slumbers and request an order for the relief of the sufferers. In consequence, out of an hundred and fifty men, only twentythree were found alive the next morning. Such was the tragical affair of what is called the Black Hole of Calcutta.

Admiral Watson who had just arrived in India with a British fleet, and Colonel Clive who had already distinguished himself in the war with the natives of the Carnatic, took immediate measures to avenge this outrage. They collected the English fugitives who were escaping from place to place, proceeded up the Ganges in December, 1756, retook Calcutta, made themselves masters of several other places, and gained a complete victory over the Subah. A success so rapid appears surprising; but the Subah from his tyrannical behavior had long been detested by his people, and his principal officers sold themselves to the English. He was betrayed at the head of his army, and he fell into the hands of his enemies, who caused him to be strangled in prison.

The English disposed of the sovereignty to the ringleader of the conspiracy, who ceded to the company a portion of territory, with a grant of every privilege, exemption and favor to which they had any preten

sion. The treasures which the English drew from the province they had acquired, soon enabled them to establish themselves firmly in the country, and in the course of the quarrels which ensued between them and the native princes, they gained conquest after conquest, and before long saw the mighty Mogul Empire within their grasp.

In the height of its power the East India Company held the control of a territory in the East, containing a population of more than sixty millions, and producing a yearly revenue of eighty millions of dollars. Their army amounted to 150,000 men, to which may be added a numerous and splendid civil establishment of governors, councillors, judges, diplomatic residents, collectors of revenue, &c. Their commercial capital in money amounted to fifty millions of dollars, in warehouses to five millions; in shipping to eighteen millions, and in other shapes to twenty-five millions. Their ships were navigated by a body of seamen amounting to nearly ten thousand, and they gave employment to a population of shipbuilders, carpenters, coopers, ropemakers, blacksmiths, sailmakers, &c., who with their numerous workmen for the last two centuries, formed regular establishments on the banks of the Thames, giving support to no less than fifty thousand persons; by whose united industry and wealth all those stupendous fabrics have arisen, which in their display and convenience, as docks, warehouses, and manufactories, contribute in so material a degree to characterize the port of London in its naval and commercial establishments, as the most opulent, extensive, and magnificent that exists in the world.

The amount of commerce carried on by the company, was of course very great, as in addition to the trade between Great Britain and their own dominions, they possessed a monopoly of the British trade to China. Their charter was renewed by parliament from time to time, and their privileges underwent various modiifications. At length in 1833, when the charter was renewed and extended to the year 1854, the monopoly of the China trade was abolished, and the company was restricted from carrying on any commercial operations on its own account, and was confined altogether to the territorial and political management of the vast empire which it has brought beneath its sway. The company's revenue now arises from land-taxes, customs, stamp-duties, subsidies, tributes from native chiefs, and monopolies of salt and opium. The revenue at present exceeds eighty millions of dollars, but their expenses of administration have much augmented, and their standing army now amounts to the enormous number of 224,000 men.

The government of the company is managed by a Board of Directors in London, chosen by a court of proprietors. These directors appoint a Governor General of India, and the Governors of the several Presidencies, but these appointments are subject to the approval of the crown. All subordinate officers are appointed by the Directors. The affairs of the company are subjected to a species of supervision by a Board of Control, nominated by the King or his cabinet; and the President of the board, is, in effect, a Secretary of State for the affairs of India.

COMMERCE OF THE NORTH-WEST COAST OF AMERICA.

CAPTAIN COOK's third voyage having brought to light several countries of which little or nothing was previously known, several enterprising persons in England, allured by the hopes of a profitable traffic with the natives of the north-west coast of America, engaged in voyages to that quarter as early as the year 1784. The people of the United States, then just recovering from the entire prostration of their

commerce, by the revolutionary war, and possessing more enterprize than money, were not slow in perceiving the benefits likely to result from a participation in this branch of trade, where industry and perseverance could be substituted for capitol.

In 1787 two vessels were fitted out at Boston, the ship Columbia of 300 tons, and the sloop Washington of 100, the former commanded by John Kendrick,* and the latter by Robert Gray, since known as the first navigator who entered the Columbia river. These vessels were owned by an association of Boston merchants, and having been furnished with sea-letters under the authority of Congress, and passports from the authorities of the State of Massachusetts, they sailed from Boston on the 30th of Septemher, 1787. Each vessel took out for distribution among the natives, a number of medals struck for the purpose, bearing on one side the figure of a ship and a sloop under sail, with the inscription, "Columbia and Washington, commanded by J. Kendrick," and on the reverse, "Fitted out at Boston, N. America, for the Pacific Ocean, by J. Barrell, S. Brown, C. Bulfinch, J. Darby, C. Hatch, J. M. Pintard. 1787."

They both arrived safely on the north-west coast, where they prosecuted their trade, and were shortly followed by other vessels. The officers entrusted with the management of these voyages, soon acquired the necessary local knowledge to maintain a competition with

* It is remarkable that this adventurous navigator was afterwards killed, like Captain Cook, at Owhyhee, by the natives. This happened in 1793.