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WILLIAM

Volume 18 · 337 words · 1797 Edition

name of several kings of England. See ENGLAND, n° 87—92, and BRITAIN, n° 302.

Fort-William, a fortress in the Highlands of Scotland, erected in king William's reign, as was also a small town adjoining, called Maryburgh, in honour of his queen. It is situated in Inverness-shire, on a narrow arm of the sea called Loch Eil, which might easily, by a very short canal, be united to the Western sea. Fort-William is of a triangular form, having two bastions, and is capable of admitting a garrison of 800 men; but could not be defended against an attack, as it is commanded by several hills in the neighbourhood.

William's Fort, is a factory of Asia belonging to the East-India company, seated on one of the branches of the river Ganges, in the kingdom of Bengal. The fort was first built in the shape of an irregular tetragon of brick and mortar; and the town has nothing regular in it, because every one built a house as he liked best, and for his own convenience. The governor's house is within the fort, and is the best piece of architecture in these parts. Here there are also convenient lodgings for the factors and writers, with store-houses for the company's goods, and magazines for ammunition. About 50 yards from the fort is the church, built by the charity of merchants residing here. The town is called Calcutta, and has a pretty good hospital for the sick, though few come out of it alive. It is governed by a mayor and aldermen, as most of the company's factories in the East Indies now are. In 1757 it was purchased by the nabob of Bengal, who took it, and put most of those that had made resistance into a place called the Black Hole, where most of them were smothered. This nabob was afterwards killed, and another set up in his room, more friendly to the English; and the factory was re-established. E. Long, 86. o. N. Lat. 22. 27.

Sweet-WILLIAM. See Dianthus.