The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1871-09-21
VOL. XIII.
PERSIA.
End of the Famine in Perssn-The
Crops andsTheir Condition-APathy
of the Government.

The famine in Persia may now be said TO
| have almost come to an end, but the distress
/ caused by it viii continue for yet long
| time. In the province Of Ears the crops
are being gathered in, and the price Of
bread, the principal food of the poor, has
| fallen considerably. Here, in Shiraz, only
| a month ago, six pounds of barley bread
| cost as much as sixteen pence, and often
none could be got at all, even at that price;
! at present that quantity is sold for four
pence or less But there are not many of
the poorer people who can buy bread at
even this comparatively low price. All
their property, excepting only the most
necessary clothes, has long since been sold
or exchanged for bread; and it IS but too
evident that starvation will be the fate OF a
great many more. On the road from Bu-
shire To ShIraz one can see at many places
half-mtcrred bodies. At a caraYanscrai
about thirty miles from Shiraz, many peo-
ple-it is stated two hundred-dicd Of star
yation in about a week. kazeroon, a town
eighty mile. from Shiraz, is half depopula-
ted, Many Of its inhabitants went to Shi-
raz, BuShre, or other large towns ana
great numbers died. On all the roads and
highways, crowds Of beggars in the last
stages of destitutlon wayiay the travellers
NanglInary fights, often resulting in loss of
life, take place over the carcases Of mules,
dOukcys, or horses, which die on the road,
and robbcries with violence are very fre-
quent. At Ispahan, the crops, which are
rather promising, have not yet been gath
cred in. \ large arrival of corn tended
greatly TO lower the prices, and good bread
costs there at present ten pence the six
pound weight. At Teheran the distress is
still very great, aud will probably remain
50. The crops are very bad, indeed; hard
ly any rain fell during the winter, and none
in the spring, and everything is bnrnt up.
At Iezd and Herman the famine ragged
more than anywhere else. In letter dat
ed Yczd, April last, it is stated that corpses
had been resorted to for food, and eight
authentic eases of children having been
killed and hyoured by their parents were
enumerated. For the relief of the Quebres
or Parsees, of Yezd and Herman, sums of
money have been collected in India bv the
benevolent of the Parsee religion. The
British Minister at Teheran does much to-
ward alleviating the sutferings Of the poor
at that place; the Persian frontier cxpe-
ditlon, under Major General Gol,lsmid
now on their way up the country, distribute
rice, and barley or wheat Mt each station
they pass; but these are almost the only
instances of any relief having been given
to the poor. The Persian government
shows the utmost possible apathy. Last
year, just when the famine began, it at
several places increased the taxes on gar
dcns and arabic lands; the prices Of garden
and field produce Immediately rose twenty
FIVE per cent or more, and the laborers' wa
ges decreased proportionately. In some
cases the consequences were even worse
The following is an instance: The proprie-
tor of large garden could not at the mo-
mcnt pay the increased tax, and the Gov
crnor of the district the ground was in had
the water necessary for irrigation cut off
and led to another garden. In 81 few days
the first had nothing in it but Try, yellow
plants. The water was still kept away,
and in month all the lemon and orange
trees it contained to the number Of | >, ,000,
we're dry frewood. Two PerSians, the
Governors of Meshed and Yezd. have not
shown themselves quite SO Indifferent as
the rest of their countrymen they both dis
tributcd large sums of money among the
poor in their districts. Correspondence
London DuHy NecS.