Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-05-07
u. S.,SHIP JAMEsTowN,

Port Proyd, Cape Verde, March 8, 1856
| have spoken in former letters of tie
starving condition of these islanders. IT,,
scarcity of rain and consequent shortn,
of the crops for the last three years ha.,
produced famine of which from five to <
thousand out of a population of one hue
drtd and twenty thousand have alreats
died. OF the twelve or thirteen islam
the famine has thus far been confined CHI +
ly to st Autinio, ST. Nicholas, St. Va
cent, aud Sal Three thousand per>u,
have come from the neighboring islands
this, (St Jaeo,) which is the most prod,
tive. The Governor, a most excellent al
energetic man, is doing every thing Il
hi power for these miserable people. l..
sends small vessels, as he can raise 4 =
means to do SO, to the coast Of Africa =
gram, which he distributes with tie stri
est econom, to the destitute. He has vi--
tied our ship several times as be speaA>
French extremely we'll, ii has fallen to nv
lot to be the interpreter He came to-da
in company with the Bishop, to think IT,
Commodore for his kindness in having gor,
ten days ago, to the island Of Brava, t.
bring the Bishop. whose presence here q.
President of the Council he strongly desi-
red, in order 10 allay disconrcnt aud to sat
isfy the pccpic with the measures that h..
has been obliged TO pursue il the present
ernel geucy. He tells R,c that whatcy,r
money he can collect be sends TO the cna,l
Of Africa and elsewhere for grain, whi,i
be distributes in such way as TO ayoi,i
monopoly. He has nearly exhausted h.
resources. He tbiDks ;bat be- will be all.
to keep starvation in check until JUL, al
ter which, unless provisions are seni from
Europe and Auerics, twenty thousand per
sons, at the least calculation, will starvc 10
death between then and December; will de-
pend upon the rain in the mean time. The
islanders, he says, who have been locking
to him for br, ad, do not know, as be does,
the terrible calamity that awaits them. In
1882 thirty or forty vessels came fro,n the
United States with provisions. With half
that amount now the Governor could, he
says, prevent all starvation
He has made full. startment of the
subject to his own Government, and will
draw up another which the Commodore will
forward to the Government at Washington.
Moreover. on our suggestion, the Bishop
will address communication 10 ArchLish-
op Hughes. as also to the Arch bishops in
London and Paris.
So distressing is the condition of these
poor people, as pictured to me to-day by
the Governor, that under the feelings that
his narrative has awakened / devote my
letter to this subject. 1t is not probable
hat 81 of fh
and Bishop will be ready for The "Zeno''
on Monday morning They may not there
fore reach the United States until week:
after this does; otherwise | should not care
to anticipate them. These islands can b,
Of little if any advantage to Portugal
There are more people here than can live
or than do live, on the produce Of tn,
soil They had, therefore better abandon
some, if not all, of the islands, shippin,
the inhabitants to Brazil. Even in thi
island, the largest and best, the water ha
almost given out; so that, should Ia
drought continue, our squadron wiIlnot b
able to water here. Where provisions AM
money were sent years ago from the Uni
ted States to Madeira the donors complain
ed, and justly, Of the disposition made q
them by the authorities. A similar mi:
appropriation of charity would be avoide
in the present instance by making Nj
Morse,oar Consul here, the consiguee to re
ceive the provisions, Whivh would thus b
sure to reach their proper destination, a
they would then be turned over 70 the Gor
iernor, who would direct and supervise til
distribution, as be imports. The revcnu
of the islands he devotes to the purchase {
pro isions, instead Of sending them to III
home Government. His own salary (S3
,O0O) be has not touched during the tw
and half years of his Governorship, thOug
: be is, as Mr. Morse tells US, very poo
: dressing very plain with great frugalit,
r The crumbs that fall from the wealthy t
bles Of Philadelphia and NV York woul
h more than fattcn these 100000 islander
T.