Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-09-05
5fliseellanY.
Family Scenes in Persia.
FROM BusuIRE TO IsPAHAN.

summer, is of peculiar interest just now,
when the receptions accorded to the
Shah in European capitals have made
all things Persian, matters of news, ut
appears" says the Pail Mall Gazette, re-
viewing the work, !" that youth fresh
from Eaton, Mr.. Brittlebank, passed
Bushire to the coast of the Caspian sea,
attended through the most distressed
province by only single native servant,
vet he was never once molested. But
though the warnings he received were
thus exaggerated, respecting the horror
Of the famine there was no exaggeration.
His first walk through Bushire was suf-
fcient to satisfy him on that point. Ow-
ing to its situation, that port escaped the
worst extremities of the prevailing scare
ity; but still IFS streets we're haunted by
men, women and children in the last
stage of emaciation from hunger.
Gas he advanced inland, however,
the evidences of the sufferings of the
population became more numerous and
appalling. AT Kazeroon, between Bu-
shire and Shiraz, he was witness OF
scene of the following description The
morning after my arrival crowd Of
emaciated natives poured into the yard
of the station. Some sat on their heels,
some propped themselves up against the
wall, others lay YEARLY at full length on
the ground. They numbered in all
men, women and children-a couple of
hundred. They were all in rags or more
than half naked, and the effluvium from
them was SO fetid that, although stand
ing on the top of the station, about
twelve or fourteen yards off, l could
scarcely bear it. They were of all ages
but their suffering seemed to have told
most on the children. The girls looked
like hags, the boys like aged dwarfs.
Two or three Persian "gholams men
who, when the Geographic communities
ton is interrupted, go down the line I'M
til 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 ap
piled to discriminate between the fam
ished and half famished, but / noticed
that they rejected very miserable looking
women who supplicated for admission
Another "gholam " assisted the Arme
mans in distributing the dates, the form
in which the relief was given. Wher
the dates were brought in, every device
was resorted to in order to obtain 6
double supply; and the crowd sometimes
became so wild that the trays on which
the fruit was placed were upset, and wha
might in truth be termed life-and
death fight was fought over it. The
distribution over, the unhappy beings
got back as they best could to their how
els to pine and suffer, sustained only by
the hope of future dole at the station
"The traveller was, however, only
now entering upon the real famine re
gion. Up to Shiraz he found no diff
Guilty in obtaining horses, but at tina
town he was unable to buy single beas
likely to live, and was forced, therefore
to travel thenceforward on hired horses
and even these were little more thar
skin and bone, from want Of food
Corpses by the wayside, black and swol
len, now became more and more frequen
on each successive day.
"Near Ispahan, on riding into car
avanseral one night says Mr.. Brittle
bank, "a faint gust of wind brough
with it the smells of charnal house
On looking round noticed woman ly
ing ON her face. She was dead and per
fectly naked, the few garments whicl
she was accustomed to wear having bee
taken by some other poor creature starv
ing in the chilly night. Out of tn
sockets of her eyes and mouth blacl
and noisome fluid was oozing, and tn
side of her face and breast were gnawe
away. Two famished looking men AM
woman were seated a few yards off look
ing at the body with wolfish eyes.
horrible suspicion seized me. | woul
not believe, and yet could not douh
it, SO hungry and ravenous were thei
looks. Passing them, and stepping owe
two more dead bodies, l came to tn
stable on the right side of the yard
entered it, and after waiting till my eye
became accustomed to the darkness, dii
covered on the one side the dead body {
a man, and on the other side, close {
the wall, a woman and child. The VIZ
man was dead, the child just breathe(
| FASTENED with ii into the air, hopin
that life might still be preserved in i
1t was too late
"From Ispahan to the capital the su
fering seemed, if possible, to grow mol
intense and universal. But when Teh
ran was passed, although there was sti
distress, it did not present the terrib
form witnessed amid the barren moul