The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-10-07
THE FAMINE IN INDIA.
LITTER FROM BISHOP FENsE1Lx OF atADRA.
CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL.
Mo dana r--at 1Att 1O~y

CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL. !
Madras, August 14th 1877.
SRA public appeal has been lately made
to the people of Great Britain on behalf of the
Presidency. The magnitude of the calamity
that has fallen upon this country is little un.
derstood in England or ireland. This country
is in every respect go different from any Euro.
pean land that it is almost impossible for q
European, who has not resided for some time
in India, to understand the country or it's
people. / hope shall be excused if I endeavor
to convey to the minds of our Catholic breth-
rem at home some notion of the magnitude of
the famine, and of the many urgent wants
which such a calamity brings home to the
Bishops and clergy, who witness it's ravsges
among our Indian population.
In Southern India We have periodical rains
in the months of June and October, after W hioh
food crops are sown, and harvested, in
favorable seasons, in September and February
Whenever the usual rains fail, there is failure
of crops and consequent distress. II the rains
fail for a year or more over any considerable
area, the distress becomes q famine.
In June, 1876, there was a failure of the rain,
generally known as the south vest monsoon.
all over the Madras Presidency, and conse-
quent failure of the crops which were expected
in September following; the October rains,
which are called the northeast monsoon, hav-
ing also failed, there was no harvest in Janu-
airy, 1877. The eastern coast of the Madras
Presidency, was visited by q cyclone in May
last, when a considerable quantity of rain fell
all along the coast and from fifty to q hundred
miles towards the west. Immediately after
the fall of rain in May the poor people worked
with will to put in crops which they hoped
to reap IN the carrent mouth of August; but
owing to the failure of rains in June and July
last, the crops Gown in May have persisted.
There is now no hope of any crop being har-
vested before January or February, 1873 nor
will there be any then, unless we are favored
with periodical rains in October next. The
result of the failure of rain is failure of food
crops and consequent starvation and suffering
to the people. The result at present is u
famine in the land more severe than any on
record, even in this land of famines. partial
failure of rains and of crops is not unusual in
India. But believe we have no instance at
least in modern times, OF any famine affecting |
SO large q population, scattered over great
an area. The whole of the Presidency of Mad |
ras, excepting the three, or perhaps four, |
Northern districts and the districts of Malabar
and South Csnara to the south, has yielded no |
food for its people since Jonuary, 1876; and in |
1875 the crops were unusually light. We have |
in the Madras Presidency 10000 900 of people |
scattered over an area of 1900 square miles |
depending on imported food for their existence |
since November last and they must depend |
upon the same preoarious supplies till the |
month of January, 1873 Add to this the |
province OF Mysore-an area of 10000 square
miles with population of 500 600 sous-in ]
which the distress is no less severe than in the
Madras Presidency. The famine area extends
also to the country of Hyderbad and portions
of the Bombay Presidency. A glance at these
figures is sufficient 90 show the terrible crisis
through which the country is passing. 1t is q
gigantic work to import food from Burmah
UT CRlCuCCa ana to distribute 1t to MANY
millions scattered over 80 large an area. So
critical is our position that in the opinion of
the Governor of Madras, who had all available
Information before him, there was only a
weeks supply of food in the country in July
last. Since then Increased supplies have been
reoeived. Bat whether toe supplies of food
Will continue equal to the demand until Jana-
airy next, is a question which causes the
graVest anxiety to every one interested III the
country.
The price Of food grain rose to an unueual
a as kpn |
of last October had failed. They are more
than double what they were during the Ben
gal famine of 1874. They have risen SO
that our market rates are now equivalent
to the quartern loaf in England being
increased in price from sixpence to two
shillings and six pence. The distress of the
people can only be understood by those who
have witnessed their sufferfngs. Government
has acted nobly during this trying emergency.
All that could be done by Governments to save
the people from periehing of hunger has been
done. No expenditure of money or labor has
been spared. The servants of Government
have devoted themselves to the work of saving
beyond all praise. But no human power is |
able to avert the fatal consequences Of q fail
ure of the ordinary food of 90 900 900 of people
scattered over an area of II, 900 square miles. |
at the close of Jolly last half q million of the
people had already persisted of starvation or
sickness, the result of starvation. And God G
and its consequent pestilence before the next
harvest in January, 1873. The total number G
VI deaths IN the Presidency for We years past c
was 2l5. 177, and the number Of deaths during +
the first seven months of this year, from !;
January to July, was SIG POI. OF the entire =
populstlon one million and three quarters are
Imported by Government, of whom 5000 900 q
IRE on gratuitous relief being fed in relief camps
q getting money payments. One million and q
'hree quarters Q,750,000) are entirely DEEPEN q
tent upon State aid for support, and the num- e
,er Is daily increasing and must continue to a
Increase for the next five or six months. The a
ntlre VIcaCiate Apostolic of Madras, covering .
n area OF % 600 square miles, with popula. o
ION OF ef millions, of whom SO 600 are Catho- Z
nTes, IS suffering from the famine; and in 1
.hFee districts, Beliary, Cuddapah and Kur- II
aool, the suferings of the people have been f
more severe than anywhere else. In Kurnool o
ano bellary q per cent. of the population de-
Ponds on Government relief; in Guddapah 16 -
PER y cent, and in Chingleput near Madras the
distress is equally great. g
on the town of Madrss alone no less than 81,
N No9 persons are in receipt of Government re- q
mel of whom about 10000 are fed in relief II
VsmPe' Notwithstanding all the care and at a