THE SECOJS'D YEAR OF THE MADKAS FAMINE. 179 



They crowded up to the gate like wild beasts, and several times the 

 attendants had to seize them by the hair of their heads and hold 

 them back, to save the pots from being overthrown. Some begged 

 for a double allowance until they were hustled off; some came up 

 with a bewildered, dreamy air, and would have gone away without 

 any food had we permitted them. Such a review of beggars, such 

 a procession of hollow stomach, protruding ribs, and fleshless arms 

 and thighs I never saw before. Many were very old, wrinkled, and 

 skinny, bent almost double and barely able to hobble along ; some 

 had famine dropsy ; some were deformed, several limited, many 

 were blind of one eye, but all were desperately hungry. 



At last the review of the hungry M'as over, and in the adjoining 

 enclosiu-e we i:)resently found them all sitting quietly on their hams 

 devouring theii- food. Twice a day was that same scene enacted, 

 each time decently and in order, and in that camp and village but 

 few people died. But this was only a very small camp in compari- 

 son with many otliers. All were closely inspected, and frequently 

 by the specially apjDoiuted Famine officers. The Government quick- 

 ly responded to calls for more grain, or for medicine, surgical instru- 

 ments, blankets or additional assistance. 



The Vice-regal Government (at Calcutta) did not fully awake 

 to the urgency of the situation in Madras until what seemed to 

 me about the eleventh hour. Then the methods of the Madras 

 Government were found fault with, a large amount of executive 

 talent was exported from the Northern Presidencies for the benefit 

 of Madras, and friction was the result. Toward the close of the 

 famine, a host of civil officers were sent from Bengal at great ex- 

 pense, many coming even from Assam, to do duty in the famine 

 districts. I knew one enterprising officer who travelled by rail 

 from Calcutta to Bombav and thence down to Madras, instead of 

 coming direct by steamer, in order to make a snug little surplus 

 of about four hundred rupees on his mileage allowance. 



The difficulty of dealing with a famine in India cannot be fully 

 understood, save by those who are familiar with the character of the 

 people. Natives of high caste would rather die of starvation than 

 go to the relief camps and receive food with the common people. 

 A Brahmin would rather die by inches than partake of food pre- 

 pared by the hands of the fairest missionaiy lady in all India. I 

 knew of one case of this kind. A Brahmin lay dying of starvation 

 by the roadside in Bangalore, when a kind-hearted lady living near, 

 passed by and saw him. She had some conjee (rice-soup), pre- 



