Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1877-08-31
rNpI,.s GREAT FAMINE.


which. at variable intervals dscimais the
population OF the peninsula. Some
light is thrown upon this subject by the
documents and statistics collected in the
British Blue Book. lately presented to
Parliament.
On the p~sriodicity Of its rains depends
the crops Of India. and the existence OF
its people. but the rainfall is by no
means equally distributed over the
whole country. When. for example.
the lower valley Of the Ganges secures
from sixty to ~ssventy-nvs inches Of rain
water. the upper valley Of this river. as
we'll as the central plateau and east coast
OF the peninsula receives only from
thirty to sixty inches. For the extreme
South in the same year. this quantity
would be still further lowered. while
throughout Seinds and in n part OF the
Punjsub IL would sink below fifteen in.
ehss. II. now. thsss rains. quite insuf.
hcieut. even in the most favored basins,
happen to fall short. or fall at the wrong
season. those provinces ~unprovided with
artificial irrigation are forthwith men,
aeed with famine. Somstinss. As in
1853. It is the Puujaub which is laid
desolats: sometimes. a. in 1918, 1919.
1888. and 1889. II Is tho whole north.
west. Then. again. as in 1850. 1866.
and 1874. the scsurgs will dsvasts Ben
cal, which. however. under normal con-
| ditions. 10 the richest AMI most fertile
region. Indeed. the most terrible fam.
inc known IT, history snoto Bengal in
ITO. when. according to the statement
OF Warren Hastings. the number Of it,
victims reached ten millions.
Ia the latest crisis-that Of last Sum-
mer-Bsngal proper was spared the
curse Of drought. which. moreover. af-
fsctsd but slightly the Presidency OF
that name. only touching it in nine dis
tricts OF Mysoro which contain but i've
millions Of inhabitants in u total Of
siIty millions. On this occasion the
weight OF the disaster has fallen upon
the Prssidsneies OF Bombay aud Madras.
the ARA Of its setiou embracing in the
one case about ten millions. and in tho
other twenty millions Of human bsings.
In other words, more than ons-eighth q!
tho population which In the beat OF
times finds 4 meaRre ~sustsnsnce on the
ovsr-crowded soil Of lIinaostan. now
sees food quite beyond its reach.
The rain which fell in the month OF
March Of the present year gave some
hope Of amelioratien. ami u certain
change for the better had begun To alp
pear in the Bombay Presidency. when
the cholsm came in its turn to ravage
several districts In that quarter. As to
the Madras region. the rain having
ceased towards the middle Of April. pub
lie dis,rsss then reached its height. ~
that to NEST most urgent necessities,
the viesroy was compelled to order by
telegraph the immediate doubling OF the
railway track ny which supplies are
mainly forwarded. How great a saeri-
lice Of human life has already been en-.
tailed by the calamity is not precisely
ascertsinsj. hat the destruction Is
known to have attained proportions
which ia any European country would
provoke q panic Of confederation, and
profoundly disloea,s the conditions Of
labor. With II patience. however. be-
gotten Of immemorial har ships, the
natives Of India, AMI especially those
belonging to the higher castles. far from
paradins their affection. strive to hide
Il. According to the ~wsli.known Indian
administrator. Sir Richard Temple.
only the image Of proud ship founder.
ing within sight Of her port can repre-
seat the poignant spectacle Of these
huugcr-torturej. accomplishing men
lying down to jio amid the efforts orga'
nizsd on every hand for their relief.
The vice.rrgal government has gone
to the root OF this evil by projecting n
vast system Of irrigation in India. which
will ultimately restore to tillage vast
tracts which are now arid aud unproduc-
tive. 1t has already spent large sums
In repairing the neglect Of thu old East
India Company. which not only did
nothing to improve the rude checker
work Of conduits that from the time Of
Porus has covered the Punjaub and
Scinde. but even suffered TO 30 10 ruin
some OF the finest hydraulic structures
reared by the Sultans Of Delhi. Akbar
aud Aurungzsbe. A means. moreover.
OF rsmsdying those inequalities Of pro-
duction which cannot wholly he pre-
vented will be found in the system OF
railways now presenting an aggregate
length OF nearly eight thousand miles.
and whose projected branches will speed
lily seam TIE peninsula in all directions
from the Himalayas TO the sea. Finally.
there Is reason to think that the meteor