The New York herald., 1873-12-31
Tho Great Bengal Famine.

Tho Great Bengal Famine.
The first tidings of the great Indian famine
were startling indeed; but the result proves
there was no exaggeration. That the fair
breast of nature, renowned for its verdure and
plenty as the garden of the gorgeous East,
should have become barren and thirsty soil
is almost incomprehensible. The Bengal
Presidency-the wide scene of the present
| desolation-contains twelve subdivisions;
and, taken as whole, is a region of the rich
est alluvial SOIL intersected by network of
| noble rivers, invigorated by almost torrential
rains and bathed in the intensest sunshine 1t
skirts the cool southern slopes of the Hima-
| layan Mountain chain, where are condensed
the steaming stores of vapor brought by the
| southwest monsoon from the Indian Ocean;
and thus it is the land Of fountains-the
| water reservoirs which keep ever full the
proud courses of the Indus, the Brahmapootra
and the Ganges. The solitary exception is
found in the Northwest Provinces-one of
the twelve Bengal subdivisions This district
of the Northwest Provinces extends along the
middle and upper Gangetic valley, including
| the country between it and its affiuent-the
Jumna-and embraces also the dependencies
| of Benares, Allahabad, Agra and Delhi.
Through this entire region the soil is more
arid than in the other sections and, owing
to the vertical depth or depression of their
channels, the two rivers are of little avail for
irrigation. Any seasonal deficiency of rains
| is therefore severely felt in the densely popu-
lated country; so much SO, that the old
| Mogul Emperors had canals for artificial irri-
cation constructed on a large scale. These
have long since fallen into disuse and ruin,
and the modern governors have never had the
sagacity to repair them nor to build new and
larger conduits. But while the Northwest
Provinces in the dry months are nearly every
year arid and grassless the rest of Bengal is
green as the Emerald Isle, and the great won
der now is that the whole district OF that name
is involved in the great calamity
| The latest returns from this mine-plagued
territory show rapid increase of distress, and
following rapidly on its heels an increase of
crime. 1t is contended that good winter rains
may yet save the Benares district, SO famous
| in Anglo Indian history. 1t is, however, star
| tling to reflect that population of $4,000, 900
is now entered on the worst famine tract, and
Of this vast multitude the larger portion must
be fed gratuitously after February.
The London Times estimates that in two of
the minor dependencies alone thirty thousand
tons of food grains will be wanted every
month to keep alive the ten per cent or
| 1926, 900 inhabitants now starving, and this
allows only one pound of grain daily to each
person, or half the average consumption. The
reduction of wages the proportionate rise in
the price of boarded food and the terror of the
great visitation made the poor in the Rajpoo-
tana district fly from their homes in droves,
not knowing whittier they went and lining the
highways with their skeleton corpses Such
dreadful scenes, in the heart of vast and
opulent country tributary to the British
! Crown, put to shame the boasted glory Of
such political dependency, and are terrible
satire on the so-called civilization of the CEN
tury.
| Bengal Presidency was commenced under the
auspices of the Duke of Wellington, and has
made the British government familiar with
every square mile of it, its climate its soil and
all the resources of its people. The Times
may well say, therefore, perhaps we shall
startle our readers when we say that both the
Indian government and British people
are treading new ground with respect
to Indian famines,' for nothing could be
further from fact. The occurrence Of years of
drought in the Northwest Provinces is proven
bial, and the only expedient within the power
of man to prevent these-the construction of
irrigating canals and reservoirs-has been
overlooked through the cupidity or shortsight-
edness of the Indian government. 1t is not
improbable, also, that the deforesting of the
district by the natural expansion of population
has Influenced the climate and reduced the
amount of rainfall
But whatever may be the causes, the evil is
of such magnitude and horror that it should
at once be met without regard to pecuniary
expense. The English people, who derive q
gross revenue of nearly two million pounds
sterling from the famine districts, and whose
Golfers are running over with surplus wealth.
owe it to themselves and humanity to prevent
such an appalling catastrophe as now threat
ems population nearly as great as that of the
United States. Let us see what the so-called
Christian civilization Of the age will do.
CoUp D'ETAT IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. -
The mighty kingdom ruled over by King
Lunalilo has passed through the throes of a
oscillation, Eor a vooroart tba fata ,f +lo