Ch. xii. China and Japan. 227 



the people are in the mean time published through- 

 out the empire. The resolution of the tribunal is 

 at length made known; but numberless other 

 ceremonies delay its execution ; while those who 

 are suffering have time to die with hunger, before 

 the remedy arrives. Those who do not wait for 

 this last extremity crawl as well as they can into 

 other districts, where they hope to get support, 

 but leave the greatest part of their number dead 

 on the road.* 



If, when a dearth occurs, the court do not make 

 some attempt to relieve the people, small parties 

 of plunderers soon collect, and their numbers 

 increase by degrees, so as to interrupt the tran- 

 quillity of the province. On this account nume- 

 rous orders are always given, and movements are 

 continually taking place, to amuse the people till 

 the famine is over ; and as the motives to relieve 

 the people are generally rather reasons of state 

 than genuine compassion, it is not probable that 

 they should be relieved at the time, and in the 

 manner, that their wants require."!" 



The last cause of famine, which is mentioned in 

 this investigation, and on which the writer lays 

 considerable stress, is the very great consumption 

 of grain in making spirits ;% but in stating this as 

 a cause of famine, he has evidently fallen into a 

 very gross error ; yet in the Abbe Grosier's gene- 



* Lettres Eclif. tom.xxii. p. 180. 

 t Id. p. 187. 

 J H. p. 184. 



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