The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-11-23
FAMINE IN INDIA.


The New York Times correspondent
gives the following interesting particulars
OF the great famine in India
A Calcutta paper of August 10 Gays TO-
000 paupers, from the famine stricken dis
trict, have inundated Calcutta, and the ar
rivals are reckoned at 200 day. We have,
on the highest authority, frightful picture
Of the prevailing destitution, especially in
Oultack ltwoud be difficult to exaggerate
the magnitude and extent Of the calamity.
All the accounts have seen have under.
estimated il. IL Is difficult to obtain reli-
able statistics as to the mortality from
famine and cholera occasioned by 1t, but all
that have seen and heard has convinced
mo that it has been on q scale of frightful
magnitude.
There are still four long dark months be-
fore us, though for u month past there has
seemed some slight abatement in the dis
tress. In the four districts of Bolasare,
Mednapore, Sarum and Tirahoot, over 40,-
900 non nlaboring paupers were being daily
relieved in the latter part OF July, besides
1000 who were ablo to make some return
for food by working.
A week later we find 81 900 daily relieved
in Bolasare and Mednapore alone, while
b ,oror and Nudda add II 900 more to the
sad list. 1t is believed that in Cuttack the
majority of the people must die before re.
lief can reach them, willie one thousand
persons day were perishng at the single
station of Boasare. A vessel, the Tubal
Cain, which was bringing them food, was
driven off by storm and compelled to
throw overheard $4,000 bags of rice. But
this is not ALL aud possibly not the worst.
The new crop of rice will soon be obtained +,
k,sN l. 4 l..
ger for, lacking other food, the people will
devour il in its immature and unwholesome
state and dreadful pestilence will prob
ably thus be produced. Until the land can
be covered with network of railroads
and canals there seems no escape from the
frequent repetition of such calamitics and
that day is far distant.
Another account says:
When the famine was at its hight the
starving poor, we are told, crowded into
the streets of Calcutta, and 1t was estima.
ted that no fewer than 10000 to $4,000
starving people were wandering about tho
capital of Mullick. That where the Bombay
merchants raised fund and distributed
food, there were at one time 1000 famishng
applicants crowded up. They were de.
scribed rs placed in order upon an open
space, waiting for the distribution. On one
side nearly 1000 lIfndoos, each with leaf
platter before him, were scattered on the
wet ground, hastily partakng of the scant
| dole they received. On the other side were
thousands of famishing Muss el men, ranged
in like manner, and watching with silent
and greedy eageTness the meal of their
Hindoo brethren. aud counting with bitter
lOngngs the minutes till their turn should
come. Under the shelter of the Chat crowd
cd tho women, girls aud children. Outside
the gates were hundreds and hundreds
who had lost their chance till tho next dis
tribution But over all there was horri.
ble, dead silence, no chattering or converse,
hardly q sound, excepting when al intervals
some wretch threw up his arms with a
ejaculation to heaven, wrung from him by
the unappeasable pangs of hunger.
More than this, officials wrote home
descriptions of meeting dead bodies III
every mornings ride-bo1ies lying in the
road, with the village dogs eating them al
leisure.
A Calcutta journal stated that in Bolasare
having population of IL, 700, the deaths
amounted to 800 day and on the Govern
ment demanding of its official a report
trict replied that on the 9Th of August hC
had 2i5 deaths in the city on the 9th, Isl
and for the week cnding the 9 II, 126 day
tho bodies sometimes rem aiming unburiot
for three days.
The province of Orissa suffered the mos
severely, one paper declaring that 400 ,00t
souls have perished in maritime Orisss
alone. Indeed, a telegram from India an
nounces that half the population of Orissg
have perished in the fanine-that is fully
two millions aud half of people.