The New York herald., 1871-09-06
FAMINE And PESTlLENCE.
The Horrors of Hunger and the Spread Of Dis
eass-Condition Of Persia, Hun
gary and Russia.
The Famine in Persia.


The famine in Persia may now be said to have
almost come to an end but the distress by it
will 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 month
ago six pounds OF barley bread cost as much as
sixteen pence, aud often none could be got at ALL
even at that price; at present that quantity Is
sold for four pence or less But there arc
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 sod or exchanged for
bread; and 1t is but too evident that starvation Will
be the fate OF great many more. On the road from
Bushire TO Shiraz one can see at many places half
inferred bodies at caravansary, about thirty
miles from Shraz, many people, 1t Is stated two
hundred died OF starvation In about week. Kaze-
room, town eighty miles from Shiraz. is half de-
populated: many Of It's inhabitants went to Shiraz.
Bushire. or other large towns and great numbers
died. On all the ROADS and highways crowds or
beggars In the last stages OF destituton wayay the
travellers. Sanguinary fights, often resulting In the
loss OF life, take place over the carcases OF mules,
donkeys or norses, which died on the road, and
rODberics with violence are very frequent
At Ispahan the crops, which are rather promising,
have not yet been gathered in. large ARRIVAL OF
corn tended greatly 20 lower the prices, and good
bread there at present ten pence the pound
weight At Teheran the distress Is still very great
and VIII probably remain so. The crops are very
bad indeed; hardly any rain fell during the winter,
and none in the spring, and everything is burnt up
anywhere else In letter dated Yezd, Apri last il
state that corpses had been resOrted to for ood
and eight authentic cases Of children having been
killed and devOared by their parents were enumera-
ted. For the relief OF the Quebres, or Parsees, Of
Yezd and herman sums Of money have
of the Parsee religion. The British
Minister at Teheran does much towards allevating
frontier expedition, under Major General Goldsmid,
now on their way up country, distribute rice and
are almost the only instances Of any relief having
: been given to the poor
pay G as the mne beSsn
1t at several places increased the taxes gardens
o T9 S e @
more, and the laDorers' wages decreased propor-
tonately. In som some cases the consequences were
proprietor Of large garden could not at tine
moment pay the increased tax, aud the governor
necessary for irrigation cut on ana led to another
garden In lew days the first had nothing in
It bit dry, yellow plants. The water was still Kept
away, and in month all the lemon ana orange
trees it contained to the number of 900, were dry
frewood. Two Persans- the Governors OF Meshed
and Yezd-have not shown themselves quite so in
different as the rest Of their countrymen. They
both distributed large sums of money among The
poor IN their districts.
The Shah. since mis- return from Kcrbela has be-
come true belieyer indeed; He Is now totally in
he has said to one OF his ministers that the Euro.
| peans ought not to be pernitted to go into the
ohSSto WhSH iaAii 10 i""ihIs ioi lau WV iHSue
| splash from a European on TO a Mussulman
and dede the latter. Stories like this are In
| the peoples mouths, ana, even II exagge-
! rated or not true at all, cannot but cause bad
! feeling between tle M0hammedans and Christians.
The Europeans at present In the Shats service have
rather anxious times TO look forward to. They are
! threatened with dismissal al any moment, and have
had their salaries hardly, II at oil, paid to them
/ during the last two or three years.
Since the Shah has heard OF the result OF the late
war he feels no more confidence in the officers now
instructng his troops. He says, "A Prussan otlcer
! or none ~ and q PrusSian officer he will have. A
Prussian colonel is being or has been engaged to
lnsti into the Persian soldier the strategy OF Mar
shal Moltke, ana, PERHAPS Bismarckian annexation.
OF local news We have here the death by cholera
month ago Of the superintendent OF the English tel
egraphs, the passing through last week OF the SeIs-
! MAJOR General G0ldsnid, accompanied by Captain
| Loyett and Captain Bean smith, both of the Royal
Engneers the arrival last Friday OF the Vail, Kas-
Khan, sent here In The place OF The disgracea
! Assefsud Dowleh, now at Ieheran ana tho robbery
| OF sugar. grain, Cashmere ShawlS and silks 10 the
value OF $4,000 from caravan on the Busnire road:
The cholera appeared In April at Busliire ieit .iie
town and SLOWLY travelled TO enitdI, where IL
orrived in Nav ToviO were only very Few latal
49, 5Ifaz, as well as the whole province Is
now iree OF the epidemic. At Teheran 1t broke out
nearly hundred persons died OF it daily, but ut
present it has almost disappeared.
AT the present time cotton is very cheap here. the
six pounds selling for seventeen TO twenty pence.
opium will be very dear; many crops of the poppy
have failed and at some places whole fields OF that
plant have been carried away by the poor people
for food.