Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-09-07

The famine in Persia may now be said to have
almost come to an end, but the distress caused
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, 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 peo-
pie who can buy bread at even this compare
lively 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
great many more. On the road from Bushire to
Shiraz one can see at many places hall-interred
bodies. AT a carayanserai about thirty miles
from Shiraz, many peope-it is stated 200
died of starvation in about a week. ka-
zeroon, Il town eighty miles from Shiraz, is
half depopuated. Many of its inhabitants
went to Shiraz, Bushire, or other large towns,
and great numbers died. On all the roads and
highways crowds of bcggars in the last stages of
desttutiOn waylay the travellers. Sanguinary
fights, often resulting in loss of life, take place
over the carcaseS of mules, donkeys, or horses,
which die on the road, and rObberies with viO-
lence are very frequent. At lspahau, the crops,
which are rather promising, have not yet been
gathered in. A large arrival of corn tended
greatly 10 lower the prices, and good bread
costs there at present ten pence the six pound
weight. At Teheran the distress is still very
great, and will probably remain SO. The crops
are very bad indeed; hardly any rain fell during
the winter, and none in tine spring, and every
thing is burnt up. At Yezd and Herman the
famine ragged more than anywhere else. In a
letter dated Yezd, April last, it is stated that
cOrpseS had been resOrted to for food, and eight
authentic cases of children having been killed
and dcvoured by their parents were cnum-
Grated For the relief of the Quebres or Par
sees, of Yezd and Herman, sums of money have
been collected in India by the benevolent
of the Parsee religion. The British minis
ter at Tehcran does much toward allevia-
ting the sutlerings of the poor at that place; the
Persian frontier expedition, under Mai. Gen.
Godsmid, now on their way up country, dis
tribute rice and barley or wheat at each station
they pass; but these are almost the only in
stances of any relief having been given to the
poor. The Persian government shows the ut.
most possible apathy, Last year, just when the
famine began, 1t at several places increased the
taxes on gardens and arabic lands; the prices of
garden and field produce Immediately rose
twenty five per cent, or more, and the laborers'
wages decreased proPortionately. In some cases
the consequences were even worse The follow
ing is an instance: The proprietor of a large
garden could not at the moment pay the in
creased tax, and the governor of the district the
ground was in had the water necessary for irri-
CATION cut off and led to another garden. In
few days the first had nothing in but dry, yell
low plants. The water was still kept away, and
in month all the lemon and orange trees it con-
tanned, to the number of 1900 were dry fire
wood. Two PersianS, the governors Meshed and
Yezd, have not shown themselves quite so indil-
ferent as the rest of their countrymen; they both
distributed large sums of money among the poor
in their diStricts.-Shirdz (Jttne 23) C0rreSpoR-
dence Of the London Daily Ne,Cs.