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devastated, . and hundreds of thousands of poor 

 people to perish with hunger, or be utterly ruined. 

 Famines, the visitation of God, are of too frequent 

 occurrence in all parts of India to create a very 

 lasting* impression in any, but their frequency and 

 their severity, renders it all the more imperative 

 that every protection that sympathy can suggest or 

 human ingenuity can devise, should be afforded to 

 the people against sufferings which, if all are 

 powerless to prevent, might yet by some means be 

 alleviated. From the badness of present means of 

 intercommunication in India, we are often compelled 

 to witness the singular and sad phenomenon, of 

 plenty reigning- in one province, and famine raging 

 in another.* Much has been done, and more is 

 being done by the Indian Government, to ameliorate 

 the circumstances of the country in this respect : but 

 it has often occurred to me to think, that a question 

 bearing so directly on the material prosperity of 

 the nation, and so interwoven with the welfare of 

 millions of Her Majesty's subjects, might be 

 placed on a different basis to that which it usually 

 occupies ; and that it would be well for competent 

 persons to examine, whether the outlay that would 

 be required to cover India with a network of roads 

 and irrigation canals, is not already exceeded by 

 the immense amount of wealih annually, and for 



i 



* Grain was selling in some parts of India last year, at one 

 maund or SOlbs. for the rupee ; while in Orissa, no more than 

 10 Ibs. per rupee could be obtained. Jan. 18G7. 



