The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-22

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Think Of q great city entirely rose color, with
white flowers svery where. Its ranparts.
palaces. temples. towers. balconies are all rose,
One might fancy they were covered over with
Indian cotton OF that color. 1t Is the tender
rose pink Of the eighteenth century. Anything
more charming in it's strangeness Is inconoeiv-
able. One sees streets three-auart.rs Of a mile
long and twice as wide as Our boulevards. bor-
dered with high palaces. Their facades are
infinitely varied with Oriental fancy. There is
an extravagant piins OF colonnades one on tho
other. OF festooned arcades. Of balconies. mira
doris in openwork carved wood. All that is
in tender pink. The border Of every mould
ing, though II were the tiniest arabesque. Is
marked with white. The crowds that give life
to these wide pink-white streets present a be-
wildering display OF color. Thousands OF
merchants sit on the ground amid their wares OF
stun. of brass. Of silver. Of weapons. Women
go about bargaining with their faces hidden
with many colored wells. and their sleeveless
arms covered TO the shoulder with bracelets.
In the wide roadway are cavaliers with silver
arms. heavy wains. drawn by zebus. elephants.
in housings Of gold tissue. with endless designs
painted on the proboscis. Dronedaries. each
mounted by two persons. trot on lightly with
''>n' W va INC N'ilthNb ~ tHot "
one has with the pink background the most be-
wflderingly extravaGant Oriental picture.
But in this exhilaratin3 scene are spectres
that seem to have escaped from the tomb, They
have come from among the wretches who lie at
the ramparts. or are going 10 Join them. One
wonders how they dared to come and face all
this nagnincence. Indeed, there is not a mere
handful Of them. They stagger and reel, they
lob with ha1oard .tora thar, liz on thu faat-
ways among the merchants. They fall on the
snowy piles OF merchandise. They hide as they
can under the heap OF rags that covers them
These dying people are ryots OF the plain In
which the pink-and-w white city stands. Since
the time when the monsoon did not break they
have been struggling against the drought and
now own themselves beaten. Their cattle are
dead. They have sold the hides for next to
nothing. The fields they sowed are burned UP.
and they have sold their clothes, their silver
rings. their bracelets and anklets, and now i'm
plore for food. They had heard that rice had
been stored up at Jeypore, SO II has. All
the packs those camels draw are of rice and
barley. But 1t is not TO be given away except TO
the poor Of the city. Still. a few grains may
be spared for the ryots. On the OF chance.
they have made their way to Jeypore."
'hA iFNt NAITAl wv lhS ~
that came under his notice. The habit Of seeing
misery makes those who are we'll of callous.
A young woman with a child on her parched
breast goes up 10 n merchant who is eating
and asks for a mouthful. He refuses and she
howis like a famished she wolf, A granary Is
too full. and bags Of rice must be unloaded
on the footway. Three dying children. black
with flies have TO get out Of the way. All their
paopla n va diaf ~ farpipa Tho aidaas LITE tho
youngest tenderly TO remove him. He arouses
Of the child went TO the heart Of the stranger
from France: but the eyes soon closed, never to
open again. Scenes like these are to he met
everywhere in the pink-and-whi'e city, over
which crows and cultures congregate as the in
vasion OF the famished increases.
The following article on the taking Of the
census in India is not only interesting In itself.
but helps one more fully TO realize the true
meaning Of a Widespread famine In such a
country. The article u from the London Globe:
Preparations are now being made by the
Government OF India for the third general
census Of the Indian people. which IL TO be
taken on the night Of March l. next year. Tho
Indian census Is the heaviest enterprise OF the
kind undertaken In the world. The circum-
stances OF the country are 30 diverse. the popu-
ton 10 be enumerated so vast and the din
cultes In the way OF obtaining accurate re-
suits so s~tupendous, az 70 give TO the census Pc
culiar interest, In England a census Ia. COM
paratvely speaking. a simple matter. The
great mass Of the people are ~literate. The
enumerator has merely first 10 distribute. and
then to collect schedules prepared for him
bv householders. In India only about 9 per
cent. Of the population can read and write.
The whole Of the census record has. therefore.
TO be specially prepared. This annot be done
IN one night. 80 the enumerator has To take a
preliminary round and himself All up the
schedules with the required information for all
the habitual residents in his particular beat
Then on the appointed night he goss round a
second time 10 check the Information and bring
II up 10 date. The selection Of a moonlight
night Is Of importance. Enictent inspection
Is more likely to he insured in the rural dis
trtcts when the light Il good; and. moreover.
the cost Of lighting-no small item--is saved.
But It must not be the night Of the full moon.
That ia the time when all the principal religious
gatherings OF India at shrines and temples and
bathing places are held. Consequently. enor-
nous numbers OF people are absent from their
homes. and for census purposes IL IL best that
travellers should be as few rs possible at the
appointed time.
1T has been said that the task is stupendous.
To put it briefly. It IL to count one-ffth Of the
population Of the world 4 In one night. Even that
statement conveys but a vague idea Of It's mag
nitude. The machinery devised to carry IL out
il simple. but vast. A Census Commissioner
has been appointed with nine provincial SUI
perintandents subordinatp 10 him. Each will