The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-30
THE STRICKEN LAND.
,Persia---ItS Geography, People, PrOduc-
\ tons and Government.
TEE LAST GREAT INDIAN FAMINE.
The Signs Of the Times-Shall We
Escape the Cholera!

Although mentioned year by year IN the Alma
mach &c GOthd. with an imposing display OF military
and official strength, there are few lands In regard
to which there prevails greater degree Of pOpuar
ignorance than that miserable Persia, whose inhab-
tants are now pershing at the rate of thousands a
day from want OF the necessaries OF life That it Is
an ancient Asiatic kingdom, that its ruler is called
Shah. and that there embassies despatched to
him at a vast expense by the leading civilized
Powers; this is about the sum OF general informa-
ton about this famne-strtCken region possessed by
the masses OF the American people.
And yet Persia is a land which. according to
Old World notions OF size. is of vast extent.
IL embraces a territory equal to four times
that OF the state OF New York, or about oae-
eighth OF the entire United States Nor is 1t very
sparsey populated, unless we take the European
standard OF comparison. Its people are varlously
estimated at from to millions, and proba-
bly, the latter figure is the truth than the first
IL is bounded on the north by Russia, on the east
by CaboOl and Central Asa, and on the south and
west by the Persian Gulf and Turkish Arabia 1t
| contains thirteen provinces, which marked by
great extremes of climate, vegetation and produc-
tiveness. It's coast line Is very limited, and indeed,
consists only or q narrow strip along the Persian
Gulf, which has no available harbor and only one
two tOlerable r0adsteads such as Bushire, Linga,
| Bunder Abbas and MOhammerah The outlet on the
Caspian is OF great value, but 1t can scarcely be
looked upon as an opening 20 the commerce OF the
world. What makes the matter still worse Is that
the Persian Gulf Is for great part of the year only
navigabe by steam vessels, the winds light
| that sailing ship has been known to have taken
| three months to beat up from Ras Ell Had TO
Bushlre. feeble attempt was made some years
ago by an American firm to open up trade in drugs
dates, opium, silk &C., with this port but the off
fculty of reaching 1t finally forced them to abandon
| n. Persia m M 40 lIy
shut out from the commercial system or the world
| so far regards those numerous articles which
cannot bear the heavy expense or steam and land
transportation. This is of the saddest features
OF the present famine.
In spite OF its comparatively low latitude Persia
has temperate and pleasant climate. This caused
by the great elevation of considerable part of It's
territory above the sea. After narrow strip of
coast line the land towers up In chain OF noun
| tains-tIe Elburz-seven thousand or eight thou.
sand feet in height, and these only recede on the n-
terror side to level OF about thousand five hun
dred or three thousand feet above the sea, thus
| forming an immense table land which comprises all
the most fertile and wellwatered soil. To the east,
owing to the absence of water courses, the land
fades into barren and irreclaimable desert which
Is regarded By geographers as part OF that sterile
| zone which stretches from the Atlantic TO the
| frontier OF Western China-the same desert
| SYSTEM W WHlCH tuc RTeub odlidrd, INC Sunuy
| wastes OF Arabia and the interior Asiatc
| steppes also belong. Even the best se3-
| ton Of the country, however, Is imperfectly
| watered by nature. though In ancient times this
evil was obvlated by perfect system OF canals,
| which threaded every portion OF the soil. During
the last few centuries these imposing public works.
which displayed more strsingIy perhaps than any
thing else the genius and industry Ofthe people of
ancient India, nave been suffered to fall INTO la
I,lsot
have been in consequence abandoned. This Is OF
the most melancholy, and, alas also one of the most
characteristic results OF Mussulman government
The productions Of Persia are varied and numerous.
In every part OF the central table land all kinds of
grain. and in many places rice also can be raised.
or late years, however, the high price of cotton,
brought about by the American war; has induced a
great many farmers to abandon the raising of pro-
visions and devote themselves the production of
cotton. Thus The area employed In the growth OF
breadstuffs has largely diminished and this is
stated upon good authority TO be prominent cause
OF the present oearlh. Tobacco Is also favOnte
CROP and the fragrant weed raised the hills OF
Shiraz ranks higher In the estimation OF Oriental
smokers than even that raised on the Lebanon or In
Asia Minor. No rich Turk or Arab smokes in his
nargheelah any other variety OF the weed; but the
difficulty of transportation makes 1t fetch quite a
high price. 1t is chiefly exported perhaps by means
of the caravans OF pilgrims who leave annually for
| Mecca and Meshed Hosein These piOus devotees,
with shrewdness worthy OF Yankee,
| generally make the expenses OF their journey by
| taking articles peculiar to Persia away with them
| and bringing back in exchange Frangee cotton
| suTs and Mocha coffee. Recently, opium has also
been largely raised, and, though 1t is not usually
known, all the supplies OF this drug which we
ceive under the name of Turkey opium really comes
| from Persia, passing generally overland through
Russia. In many other drugs Persia is almost the
sole source or supply. Horses, silk, gall nuts mad
der altar OF roses assafGtida, gum ammoniac, SAT-
| FROM wine. wool and carpets make up the remain
ing list OF Persian commerce, but these articles
not largely exported. we must not forget further
to allude to the supplies Of gems which also re-
ceved from this source TurquoIses are found no.
where else than In Persia.
The population OF Persia Is very mixed, being a
combination OF Perslans Arabs Turks, Tartars,
Georgans, Armenians and negroes fused together
chiefly by the practice which prevails even now
OF buying and selling concubines. A Persian
deems 10 no disgrace to openly purchase
a negress as eft-handed wife, and there is a
humane law, which is rigIdly observed, and which
provides that the offspring of such union Is on a
perfect equality with all the mans other children.
The chief characteristics Of the Persian character
are lying, dishonesty and poteness, ana all over
the East ''as thevish" or las false" or las honey
mouthed' as Persian are established proverbs.
The country Is governed by the Shah, rather,
both nominally and, in fact, the country and peo-
pie belong to this august individual, who styles
himself king OF kings. Each province Is governed
by MS appointces, who In turn appoint the
rulers OF the various towns and villages
Every Office OF every kind in Persia
is sold TO the highest bidder, though
of course the bidding is not public, and power Is
simply used for the purposes OF protecting Yourself
aud depressing every one else No iniamy In tn
way Of injustice corruption is too overpowering
for the conscience OF Persian Official or this the
story OF the present famine affords pretty good
example The partial failure of the crops last year
cansed a great many defanltnrs among In xnaxnrs