The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-01
Famine IN THE S0UOAN.
Locusts Destroy the Crops and a
Great Deal of Suffering
Will Ensue.
Not Only Have the Plains Suffered,
but Also tho Mountainous
Regions
Severe DrOughts Aggravate the Plague Of
Insects-Whole Tribes Wiped Out
of Existence.

LONDON, Dec. 3l.-The London Daily
News correspondent at Suakim tolegraphs
to-day that the full magnitude Of the fam
inc that for eighteen months has ravaged
the eastern Soudan can never be known. It
is only where Europeans have been present
that some detailed information has reached
the outside world ms to the terrible condi-
ton of the people. The extent Of the
affected region is very great; in fact, trust
worthy native accounts indicate that there
is not town nor district from the Egypt
proper to Sennair in the south, from Dar-
forr in the west. through Kodofan in the
Nile provinces, and east to the sen,
that has not been during the past
year and half more than decimated by
starvation. Not only the inhabitants of
the plains have suffered, but the misery has
also reached the mountains from the Beni
Amer country to Abyssinia. The chief
causes Of the famine are described to be:
The insecurity Of property, the natives be-
ing OH this account afraid to place too
much ground under CIVILIZATIONS; the partial
destruction by drought of the crops of 1899,
the supply of grain being very deficient,
and the total failure OF the winter crops of
1s89-'9O, the locusts having destroyed nearly
every green thing.
The cotton crop of Tokara and Duroor
was also devoured. The inhabitants CT the
country had to rely on the coast ports for
supplies. which were released by the Egypt
ian government with spare hand, causing
unnecessary suffering to thousands of peo-
pie. The Oldest native inhabitant never
saw the locusts so thick as they have been
this year. The county was visited eight
times by vast clouds of these rapacious in
sects.
The victims of the famine are so numer-
ous that it is not an exaggeration to say
that some sub-tribes of the Hadendowas
and Amarars have ceased to exist. The
awful experience of the people has not,
however, lessened their determination to
maintain their freedom. The greatest suf-
ferers among the tribesmen have been
the families of those who in 1884
and 1885 arrayed themselves in
battle. against tha English, colonial
and Indian forces, and whose bones
are still bleaching on the plains in silent
protest against the Engiish attempt to
place the people again under Egyptian rule.
Now many widows and children lie unbur-
led behind these breadwinners. starvation
having found Them easy victims.
In some places in the Sounad the poorer
classes were forced to eat cats, dogs, rats
and lizards, all vegetable food having dis
appeared. There have also been many un-
doubted cases of cannibaism, freshly in
tered bodies of the dead having been ex-
humed to satisfy the cravings of hunger.
Here and there whole village is found
deserted with skeletons of the dead re-
naming in some of the houses. The
wealthy Jared hardly better than the poor.
as riches could not procure food that did
not exist. TO add to the terrors of the situa-
ton smallpox broke out and spread over
nearly the entire famine district. For the
past two months there has been some i'm
provement and by spring the people will
probably have regained their normal con-
dltion. and they will not forget that the
British and Egyptian authorities, by clos
ing the gates. of suakim against them, are
responsible for much of the terrible suf-
fering.