Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-11-02
The Famine in India.
REVOLVING SCENE NEAR CALCUTTA.

EN
A gentleman who has travelled near
ly 300 miles through the districts
southwest of Calcutta, in which the
famine was raging, has sent to the
Times the following details of the
sickening spectacles which met his
view at various parts of his journey:
Il started from Midnapore, civil
station about 10 miles southwest OF
the capital, on the morning of the 18th
of June, and had hardly proceeded
some seven miles, when commenced
the painful sights which, varying only
in intensity, continued until | again
returned to this place.
Rain had fallen heavily during the
night, and the palki men were trudg-
ing slowly through the mud, when a
little after daybreak | saw two bodies
under a tree. As there seemed to be
a slight motion in one | alighted, and
on going up to it found, covered under
an old cloth, with Just a spark of life
left in him. an old man slowly dying
from hunger. He appeared as If he
had a thin piece of transparent India
rubber tightly drawn over his skele-
ton frames so emaciated had he become.
| cave him some beer, and he slowly
faltered out his tale Of woe. He said
that he and his companion had left
their homes, after seeing his family
die from the effects of cholera or fam
inc, and had got this far on their jour
new towards Midnapore, hoping to get
relief there, when one, struck by damp
and hunger, dies on the road under {
tree, and the other awakes to find hi
friend a corpse and himself, exhausted
and drenched by the heavy rains tina
had fallen during the night, unable t.
move. The dogs and jackals feas
on the body, while this living Skeleton
but few PAGES off is pOwerless t
prevent them. He family begS fror
the passers-by, but in vain. Hunge
is gnawing their vitals also. They a
turn a deaf ear to his cry. The bee
seemed to revive him, and | went
my palki to get some biscuits, but II
turned to find the poor sufferer in
state of coma, and in few moment
he was dead. The half picked bod
of his companion attested his tale,
continued my journey, passing at i
tervals the dead as they lay unburie
and in every stage of decompositic
on the side of the road. Sometim,
IwOuld see a cluster together In OF
place there were twenty two bOdi
within the space Of half mile, III a
other place six close together
more or less mangled and torn |
iackals, dogs and vultures. PushiI
my way through the jungles and Ov'
paddy fields, often obliged to swi
sundry streams swollen by the la
floods, in one of which my palki W;
upset, traversed 100 miles of cOu
try, when | reached the house of NJ
Falls, an assistant in Messrs. Waite
son q Co. S indigo establishment her
That gentleman informed me that
woman had died by the roadside, al
that a living child was said to be
her breast. He sent out his servant
who returned saying they had fOu
the corpse and the child, but the m
theirs arm clasped the latter so tigf
ly that in bending it back, stiff al
cold, it broke. They say that the Ii
ING and the dead had been thus link
together for two days; al any raj
the poor little infant, exhausted
exposure and want, died as it was /
leased.
The above gentleman and mys
were travelling through a dense il
gle. Miles away from any human
bitation we perceived native of t
Santhal tribe, lying on the ground;
had thrown himself down to meet
certain death; but little brandy
kindles the vital spark, and 10th
leave him prey for the jackal a
the leopard, we have him placed
the roof of a palki. The palki be
ers, however. refuse to bulge an in
saying their caste would be gone
'Suauiter IN modo' is tried, but mo Q
Tortiter IN re- then came in play
They murmured, looked at the pa
asked for a bottle of grog, and t
trudged along with their tipsy
den-the brandy had been too str
for him. am glad to add that in
hours after this the burden was WI
ing about.
THE misery entailed by the fan
has brought out all the worst quail
of the lower class of natives. A
rule, aflectionate and fond of tt
homes, they have in too many ms
ces fed, leaving their wives and f;
lies to starve; but as an eye witt
in two cases where nobler feelings
their sway, here record them:
"a woman, with her three 20
children, crawls up to planters he
just as luncheon was being car
from the table; she begs for the
mains Of the curry and rice, which
at once taken into the verandah
placed before her. Without after
ING to eat, she quietly seats the tt
children round the dish, who in a
minutes demoish its contents, anC
though the mother is wasted to 5
eton, yet, mumbling her thanks,
turns away, grateful that her ofsp
have been fed, even while she hel
still hungereth.
"In another village we met a l
Il ,nI hon ,,otbor Iuipo, unJa