The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-09-22
OH Bulletin
TIE INDIAN FAMINE.

HUNDREDS or THOUSANDS or WRETCHED
CREATURES ~ MADRAS WHO ARE ny
ISG FOR WANT OF FOOD TERRIBLE But
NOT OyRR.DRAwN PICTURES.
London Time, Madsas letter, August
| 9Th: All IIlndoos are charitable by ma.
ture. SlOst families have crowds OF
hungry .iangers-On, even in the best Of
times, but with this great dearth the
family burdens haye been added to. In
going through street Of the more
wealthy part Of the town it is common to
rec at almost every house a number Of
poor people collected waiting tor their
daily dole OF food and in this way the ta.
tive communities Of this and other towns
have been doing quietly and unostenta-
tiOusly a great deal to help their poorer
brethren in their struggles for llie.
But from all That | can learn distress Is
already reachIngthe class above the very
poor. With these there are caste Diff
cultlcs about getting food az the regular
relief houses, and many are gradually
starving before the pressure becomes so
great that they will leave behind their
pride and social preiudices, and join the
common herd at the government kitch-
ems With regard 10 the town Of Mad
ras the local committees are now making
inquiries regarding the numbers OF the |
better classss who are IN want Of |
relief, and this relief will be admin. |
istered, as far as possible, in number
consonant with the feelings and usages
OF the classes we wish TO benefit. II is
quite certain that the destitntiOn Is very
real. within stones throw OF my own
honsC there l. a native village tenanted
by servants Of Europeans, small shop
keepers and others, and for some time
past my wife has been feeding few lit
tie starlyings belonging to this village on
broad and milk. These are not immi.
grants, but children of our local poor, and
out Of Il dozen little things who come every
morning for their food, two or three are so
lar gone that they will not be saved II We
fed all who wanted help out Of this little vii
lage we should have hundreds on the list.
As write there comes before me woman
with two children, the woman IN the last
stage Of exhaustion, one child a'.tho breast
with a face Ikea wlZened old man, and
its body u mere skeleton, the other child,
little girl Of five yeas Of u age, extremely
emaciated and feeble. With this family are
two young girls, both mserably lam
ine.s,rlckeH, and with their strength quit
spent They all speak with voices that are
thin, and sounding AS If for away, Just as
happens in the last stage Of cholera. A lit
tie warm soup and bread, ald milk for the
children, reyiyes all OF them in wonderful
way Alter rest, they get curry and
rice, and are sent of on cart to a relief
camp. standing at the entrance gate OF my
house, can in half an hour count hun
dreds Of wretched creatures who have
hardly strength 10 drag their weary limbs
along. There are the houseless and home
less wander. from distant villages, for whom
the government provides center. OF relief;
but the people will not rest quietly and con-
serve their energies. They drag themselves
and their feeble children about. wander
Ing from camp TO camp, until the time
comes.tor lie down and die. Death.
in the streets are getting more frequent.
one day last week saw Il crowd assembled
near to government house. The people
We're gathered around iamned family;
one of whom, little girl of seven years,
was dying Of exhaustion. The bystanders
were trying to feed her with milka nd rice,
but she could not wallow. IN Bangalore
heard that the people die IN the streets at
the rate OF fifteen or twenty day, and the
police in Madras are reporting such deaths
as common. There comes time in the
course of every famine when the people
affected by the scarcity can neither exert
without great peril to life. Bodies enfee-
bled by long privation are very susceptible
to fatigue and weather changes The last
ten days have been rainy time, and the
mortality among the famine camps has been
higher than ever. Rumors reach us that
the yiceroy is coming down Immediately
from Simla to Bombay aud Madras to con.
suit with the local authorities in regard to
future arrangements Tor the management Of
the famine. Lord Lytton will not arrive Il
day tao soon. The food supply of the peo-
pie in Madras and Mysore,and the threaten
ed extension OF the famine area in Bombay
are matters of the highest imperial interest,
and should be discussed in the heart of the
famine area, and not in the Handicapped
tlnuo of tina IIimolavaa