Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-03-04
THE FAMINE In INDIA.
Mr.. FOrbes's Report to the British Gov.
ernment-The Gaunt Visitor Max.
In Rapid Strides.
Sad Scenes among the Starving POpu-
IatlOn Of HindOstaH-MillIOUs in
Danger, Etc.
From the New York Herald.l

sOrbing interest which attaches 10 Jne
reports which have already reached
Europe of the prevalence and progress
of famine in British India induced the
dispatch, some time since, to that eoun-
try of well-known member OF the staff
of the Daily Ne10s, Mr.. Archibald
Forbes, the gentleman who had display
ed his professional energy and power OF
description to such remarkable degree
as a correspondent during the period OF
the Franco-P Prussian war, in 1870.
A FIRST REPORT AFTER PERSONAL IN
sPECTIoE.
Mr.. Forbes's first letter from India,
dated in Calcutta, January 18th, has
been received here by this evenings g
mail. Thinking that the Calcutta press
and people were given overmuch to the
orizing on the subject of the causes OF
the visitation, and being, for this reason,
unwilling to tabulate their local reports
for universal use, he determined to visit
the distressed districts in person, and to
use his own eyes and ears in surveying
the scene of misery and hearing the
statements of the Inhabitants. He did
so, and now ventures to offer series of
cabinet popular pictures, which are
truthfully painted and of living, heart
felt import.
A PAINFUL DUTY FEELINGLY PER-
FORMED.
at is impossible" (" he says, "to impart
the official statistics and the deductions
which have been founded on them by
the Indian government" He ex-
presses the wish that his work had
been that of writing the story of fight
ing during q war campaign; for in
that he must needs tell OF bloodshed
and suffering, but not of women and
children stricken down to death. The
ardOr of battle and the glow Of victory
furnish under such circumstances sort
of relief to the sad record Of pain and
woe. Describing a military campaign,
apart from the inspiration which seizes
the correspondent during the progress
of the actual combat, is duty much
less narrowing to the feelings than that
in which / am now engaged" and he
expresses the hope that he will eventu-
ally be enabled to record, nOtwithstand-
ing the aspect and facts of the present
situation, the story of famine averted
by wise and timely precaution. In that
event he cannot imagine 1.-THE attain
ment of a greater or more glorious
earthly victory"
AREA OF THE FAMINE DISTRICT.
uThe scarcity of food" says MIR.
Forbes, "extends and is spreading
among the population of a wide tract of
country running along the foot Of the
Himalaya boundaries of Nepaul, on the
southern slope, and stretching from
Dude to near Darjeeling, in the Sikkim
territory. These remote districts, re-
moved from railroads and other sources
of easy communication, are difficult OF
approach.
GOVERNMENT IN THE FACE OF STARV-
ING MILLIONS.
"His exeelIeney, Lord Northbrook,
informed me that the existence of this
terrible distress threatens the govern
ment most seriously. The governor
general recognizes fifteen districts, in
addition to provincial territories, com
prising a total population of 5000, OOC
people, which are afflicted either
by actual famine or a scarcity of food.
This is not all. Twelve other districts,
containing IA, ,OO0, 900, people are threat
ened. These latter places are described
| as being almost rOadless and without
water. The coolies and field
| laborers in the more densely populated
/ districts feel the pinch most, owing to q
total absence Of work in the rice fields.
"The government contemplated, prior
/ to the outbreak of the distress, the COM
mencement of public works-the con-
| struction of certain sources for the irri-
/ CATION of the rice-fields from canal, the
| building of the Northern Bengal rail-
road, and lastly, the embankment Ofthe
/ Gunduck river, tributary of the Can
] ges, which it joins opposite to Patna.
| Thirty-two thousand laborers were en-
/ ployed on the first named work. Their
/ wages were paid in money, which was
exchanged for food at government stores
| adjacent.
/ POLITICAL ECONOMISTS HALT TO REA-
SON.
"The government standpoint in India
! is 50 maintained, as long as may be posi-
bic, that it is called upon to find food
for persons earning wages. All that has
hitherto been done has been done unde-
cisively and precautionally, and dent
know whether there will be a famine at
all, were Sir George CampbelPs words
to me on the eleventh instant. 'All that is
known he continued, lis that We have
the same preludes with which former
famincs have come upon the people,
Lord NorthbroOk does not intend to
recede from his hitherto expressed sys-
tenn of policy. 1t is curious to read two
consecutive sentences in the address of
the governor-general to the council.
"The exports of food from Bengal ex-
ceed, since the first of November, 1878,
ninety thousand tons, while the govern
ment imported, till January 22d, 1874,
more than thirty thousand tons of rice
beyond the seas. Rice is not so high in
price as was anticipated"
" Lord NOrthbrOok says that the ex-
ecutive department has arranged for a
| sufficiency Of food to last till May ne xt,
/ and the storing Of large reserve to
meet contingencies. The official calcu-
/ lations of quantity are based on the
knowledge of the demands which were
made on the government depots during
! the preyalence of famine in former
times; but it seems doubtful whether the
supply will be adequate just at present
owing to the facts that during the pc
riods of the previous afflictiOns large
numbers of persons died without asking
for relief. and that the districts which
are lust now suffering are more remote
the means of transportation growing
/ difficult, and, also, that there exists &
want of food for cattle as well as for the
/ human beings.n
GLOOMY FoREBoDINGs OF CHASTITY
CALAMITY.
Mr.. Forbes concludes his report thus
"From what have seen since my ar
rival in India / have become con
vinced- first, that neither the govern
ment nor the people can precisely des-
cribe the actual position, or prognosti
cate the future; second, that the gov
eminent is most fully alive to its re-
sponsibility that the measures which
have been taken for relief will fully
cOJe with the difficulties of the Occa-
sion; third, that the absence OF rail
roads in the remote districts Is mostly
/ dreaded, as the officials are without
present means for the avoidance of the
4 obstacles thus created. On the whole
! entertain q most depressing conviction
/ of coming calamity, for / have merely
/ Touched a most momentous topic"
I ---@=
The Knoxville (Tenn.l Chronicle
ea%,s. awe understand the city author
;tiss and the university are about to
ANa.~ maN