Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-08-10
The CannibalS of the Kh0raSsam.

In the last year but one Of the thir-
teenth century Persia was devasted by a
famine and plague which has had no
rival to historical notice in that region
until the present year but if Mr.. Alb
bolt, the highly intelligent British Con-
sui at Tabreez, has not fallen for once in
to extravagant exaggeration, the plague
Which runs riot In 1911 VIII even surposs
in devastation that Of 1899.
Confirmation of this horrible report
comes from many sources. 1t comes
officially to the British government from
their agent at Tabreez-than whom no
one has better opportunity of knowing
Persian affairs. The Turkish govern
ment have also obtained such informa-
ton as to justify the establishment by
them of q Gordon Sonitaire along their
frontier, and we may expect to hear by
way of st. Petersburg in q few days
further confrmatory dispatches from
Tifis.
While this is the second great famine
since the middle ages which has desolat-
ed the land of Cyrus and Darius, it
would be difficult to point out period
when famine, social anarchy, religious
turmoil or foreign invasion had not
rendered Persia well nigh uninhabitable
From the day of ithe Seljukian Turks
and Genghis Khan to those of Nadir
Shah, El-Bab, and Nassr-Ed-Din, Persia
has been in state of permanent desola-
lation. No nation that was once great is
at present in such state of decadence.
A very impartial writer says : "The pop
ulation of Persia is believed to be stead
lily declining in numbers owing to the
ravages of the plague, the general alb
sence of sanitary laws, the results OF
polygamy, and various other not well as
certained causes"
The present plague and famine appear
to have broken out in the Gland of the
Sum-" Khorassan, celebrated in Moores
famous poem
"The delightful province of the sun,
The first of Persian lands he shines upon.
1t is just as likely that it was in more
distant region the plague broke out, al
though first reported from this place.
Khorassan is in some respects to the in
habitants of Paris or London, what
Duluth or the Fond du Lac region is to
New Workers or Brooklynites 1t is al
the most distant point of the Caspian
Sea- 1t is just south of Khiva and north.
east Of Afghanistan. 1t is to the east OF
Teheran, and is frrthest removed from
Tabreez of all the Persian provinces.
It's southern part is sandy desert, and
there are also there salt steppes. The
other portions of the province include
hills and tolerably fertile valleys. Doubt
less but for the nomadic character of the
people the region could support all its
inhabitants. As is well known the pure
Persian race, consisting of about 1,0OO,.
600 people, frequent the town, while
the other inhabitants Of Persia, consist
ing of about three and one half millions
are tribes of Turks, Arabs, LEX, Koord
ish, &c. In the Khorassans the pure Per
SLAMS are very few. But the plague ant
famine do not appear to be confined tc
Khorassan the proclamation OF the
Governor of Shiraz is proof OF this
That town is at the south of the king
dom, on the direct road from the Gas
plan to the Persian Gulf, on line witt
Teheran and Ispahan. 1t forms the
apex of triangle of which Tabreez Of
Tebriz-mcorrectly telegraphed Sabriz
and the capital of Khorassn, Meschhed
are the other points. This triangle is al
most equilateral. The sanitary Gordon
which the Turks are said to have estab
lished ought to run from the mouth o.
the Tigris and Euphrates at the head o.
the Persian Gulf, to Kars. A little
south of this the Russian government
could establish another line running
eastward to the Caspian Sea. These
lines, properly guarded, would complete
ly hem in the plague so far as that NIGH
be done by quarantine.