Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-08-27
Famine Scenes In Persia.
FROM BUsHIRE TO IsPAHAN,


Mr.. Brttlebank's book on the social con.
dition of Persia, which he visited during the
famine, remaining until last summer, is OF
peculiar interest just now, when the recep-
tions accorded TO the Shah in European cap
itals have made all things Persian matters OF
news. "It appears" says the Pail Mali
Gazette, reviewing the work, that youth
fresh from Eaton, Mr.. Brlttlebank, passed
Bushire to the coast Of the Caspian SCI, at
tended through the most distressed provinces
by only a single patlve servant, yet be was
never once mOlested. But though the warn
ings he received were thus exaggerated, res
o. citing the horror of the famine there was
no exaggeratiOn. His fir walk through
Bushire was sufficient to satisfy him on that
point Owing to its situation, that port es-
capped the worst extremities OF the prevailing
scarcity: but still Its streets were haunted by
men, women and children in the last stage OF
emaciatIon from hunger.
AS be advanc inland, however, the
evidences of the sufferings of the population
became more numerous and appalling. Al
Kazeroon, between Bushire and Shirtz, he
was witness of scene Of the following de-
criptou: Tue morning after my arrival
crowd OF emaciated natives poured into the
| yard uf the station. Some set on their heels
some propped themselves up against the
wall, Others lay wearily at full length on the
ground. They numbefed in all-men, wo-
men and chIldren-a couple OF huudred.
They were all in rags or more than hall
make d, aud the ef1uvlum from them was 81
iesid that, although standing on the top o.
tue station, about twelve or fourteen yards
off, / could scarcely bear it. They were o.
all ages but their suffering seemed t. have
l IL. rvtrls Hod
like hags, the boys like aged dwarfs. Two
or three Persian 'gholams'-men who, when
the telegraphic communication Is interrupt
ed, 90 down the line until they discover the
place at fault-stood at the gate in order
that the very poor and starving might alone
enter. | could not make out what test they
applied to discriminate between the famishec
and half-famished, but noticed that they
rel scted very miserable looking women whl
suppllcated for admission. Another 'gholam
assisted the Armenlane in distributing th'
dates, the form in which the relief was given
When the dates were brought in, every de
vice was resOrted to in order TO obtain
double supply; and the crowd sometime
became so wild that the trays on which TIT
fruit was placed were upset, and what mig b
in truth be termed llie-and-death fight wa
fought over it. The distribution over, th'
unhappy beings got back as they best could
| to their novels to pine and suffer, sustained
only by the hope OF future dole at the std
ton.
The traveller was, however, only nov
entering upon the real famine region. Vi
, to Shiraz he found no serious difficulty il
obtaining horses, but at that town he wa
unable to buy single beast likely to live
and was forced, therefore, to travel thence
forward on hired horses, and even these wer
little more than skin and bone, from want q
food Corpses by the wayside, black an
swollen, now became more and more irequen
, on each successive day.
Near Ispahan, on riding into caravan
:, seral one night, says Mr. Brittlebank, g"
faint gust of wind brought with it tn
smells of a charnel hoCse. On lookin
round | noticed woman lying on her face
! She was dead and perfectly naked, the fe,
: garments which she was accustomed to wea
r having been taken by some other poor crea
ture starving in the chilly night Out Q
the sockets of her eyes and mouth a blac
and noisome fluid was oozing, AMI the side @
: her lace and breast were gnawed away
Two iamished-loOking men and woma
S were seated few yards of gtarlng at th
body with woiish eyes. A horrible suspic
$ ION seized me. l would not believe, and ye
| could not doubt 1t, SO hungry and raven
GUS were their looks. Passing them, an
stepping over two more dead bodies, cam
to the stable on the right side of the yart
> entered It, and alter waiting till my eye
g became accustomed to the darkness, dIseo'
5 cred on the one side the dead body of mar
: and on the other side, close to the wall,
@ woman and child. The woman was deaG
the child just breathed. l FASTENED with
;. lrto tue air, hoping that life might still
preserved in 1t. 1t was too late.
= q" From lspahan to the capital the suffa
d ing seemed, II possible, to grow more inten'
and universal. But Wnen leheran Wi
passed, although there was still distres
1t did not present the terrible form wltnesse
amid the barren mountains and sandy ga
PLAINS Of the centre OF the kingdom.