New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-03

The administration bul
the Deccan districts. is dreary in the extreme.
Going from Madras Bombay the traveller does
not one single patch of green. much
blade Of grass, for hundreds of miles on end.
The whole of the Madras and Bombay Deccan is
simply vast e1papse of scorched up, water
less upland. In many places hamlets have been
completely deserted for months past, simply be-
there is water within many miles of
them Springs and rivers which have never been
known fail before absolutely dry. The
Nizam's dominons largely lie in this Deccan coun-
Try. and il is consequently. surprising 10 learn
that the intensity of the famine in his territory is
rapidly increasing.
IN THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY.
Passing to the Bombay Presidency, we come to
the part of India which. in the opinion Of the
tral authorities severely afflicted Of all.
In other parts, notably in the native States Of
Rajputapa. the mortality from starvation may be
greater. mainly because the system of famine re-
lief and the organization generally in such States
IS good in British territory but it is
generally admitted that certain parts of Bombay
present the worst famine features in all India at
the present time. The latest official reports show
that there has been change in the conditions,
eXceI. for the There is abatement of
the famine; things merely getting slowly and
surely more terrible and more disastrous than be-
fore.
"One of the remarkable features of the present
famine is that certain districts in the Bombay
PRESIDENCY hitherto reputed to be the most fertile
perhaps. in all India, are now the most afflicted.
in ordinary times the country around Baroda and
Ahmedabad presents aspect Of extraordinary
fertility. At the present moment II is in this very
tract that the worst features Of the present famine
TO be found. The people literally dying of
starvation. The greater portion of the cattle the
celebrated breed of Gujarat, already dead
Everything that human agency can do is being
done to keep the people alive. but they have been
for many months past in a low and unnour-
TAT he tali In has
more than quadrupled. AS for the cattle the Gov
eminent IS trying keep the remnants alive in
cattle camps but the mortality has been terrible
MORE than million having died in the district
OF Gujarat alone. To add 10 the embarrassments
Of the local officials a severe epidemic OF cholera
has now broken out of the relief works in
the Godha district. and the people. weakened by
many weeks and months of low diet. are succumb-
ing TO this terrible scourse at a startling rate. In
The Bombay Presidency, a whole. there are now
no fewer than two millions of people famine re-
lief and the population affected Is than
twenty million.
WATERLEss WASTES OF SAND.
ITO the north and northeast of Gujarat we come
TO another portion of India almost equally af-
fictsS The greater portion of the land in Rajpu-
tapa is OF extremely light character, and in
many parts is hard 10 distinguish it from a des-
ert- In States such Jodhpur and Bikanir much
OF il is actual desert. Railways few and far
between and vast tracts almost completely out
Of the reach Of RELIEF operations. These semi
desert tracts sparsely populated. and the
country Itself is utterly hopeless that it is i'm
possible 10 establish relief works. The inhabitants
long as thew can and then When nbYsraiIV ouife
unequal 10 the strain OF long journey the
sun baked, waterless wastes of sand. they try TO
towns. perhaps a hundred miles or more away a!s
Inete Is every reason 10 oeneve mat a very large
t:nation, but die IN the desert, where their ema-
ais and % %ch hang dd on heir fFack Num
without number OF people OF all ages and both
bodies mere skeletons with skin stretched
not6ing n't can well be done for them Those who
Of the remoIeT portions Of the western desert; who
famine relief works II would almost seem that
n many instances the people have wish TO 1--we,
gle for eSistence With that fstaiistlc tendency
tails. they argue among themselves that it is their
6smet their destiny an6 that Ar an 81 e
would be idle 10 struggle against the memorable
THE most afflicted portion of India is the
central provinces. which had hardly got over the
terrible d,sester came upon them. There has been
now bo t asd IN millions o
on famine relief and the population directly af-
''The plague outlook seems scarcely less reas-
surne This terrible disease iatteTly has spread to
tne wnole OF Ipela IN It's grSsp Already very
So too Is Calcutta and the greater ps part of the
Province Of Bengal. The disease has also appeared
~ many places in the central portion OF India. II
Is found in sind. in Rajputana, and in the Joun-
dur and Hoshiarpur districts OF the Punjab
The plague itself by constitutes the
rest serious aspect of the question. The measures
taken by the Government TO stamp IL out have set
sfoot undercurrent Of native discontent-a
ruTnbng OF rebellion such as preceded the Mutiny.
There have been many signs OF late of some secret
disturbing influences work among the people"
The correspondent refers his readers to 1887 and
1888 when the precautions against plague. merely
common sense hyslenic measures aroused a storm
OF fury in Western India
cONSTABLES THROWN INTO A FIRE
"a very similar outbreak of protests and de-
nunciations' he continues has greeted the adop-
ton OF these precautions in Bengal and the north
west provinces At Cawnpore the mob burned the
plague hospital. and after severely beating the
half dozen native constabes in charge, threw them,
still living, into the flames They then searched
for the English civil surgeon, with the avowed pur
pose of numbering him. The troops and volun-
teers were called out TO preserve order. All the
usual features betraying deep laid organization
by Influential persons were visible. There the