water of wells will last for 16 days only. Jowaree, 9 seers; rice, 5; grain pulse, 6; wheat, 6; turi pulse, 7; oil, 24. No corn in store in the village. The water works at Anjandoho, if undertaken, will maintain many people, and be useful to cultivators. Monji rice all abandoned: 1 of Nadi and Nilay . Many others leaving. Women, leaving infants 5 or 6 days old, are seen employed on the works. People are seen coming in crowds with their families crying for food and water to this place. Large relief works wanted. November 9. Three deaths have occurred on account of want of food. Certain people are seen who cannot walk even to the place where corn is served. Fifteen or sixteen deaths are heard of by cholera on the works. Bad corn and too much fatigue is spoken of to be the cause. much work is exacted by the Public Works Department. Jowaree, 5 seers; wheat, 43; turi pulse, 4; kurba, 5; rupees 100; milk, 7 seers. Some villages altogether forsaken. Heat 92° or 93° in the shade.'

Too

At the time the above letter was sent to Government, General Kennedy had been placed in charge of famine administration. In acknowledging its receipt he bore testimony to the ample evidence which the document showed of the interest and attention which the Sabha continues to bestow on the present critical condition of the country. General Kennedy continued: 'His Excellency in Council will always feel indebted to the Sabha for suggestions which their knowledge and facilities for obtaining information may prompt them to offer, and will rely on their using their best efforts to assist the Government in the heavy task which they have before them, and to counteract the influence on the minds of the people of misapprehension as to the measures of the Government. Government have not received any authentic information of numerous deaths

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in the affected districts, and certainly none are known to have occurred which can be attributed to want of food. The Sarvajanik Sabha were not probably aware, when your letter was written, that recent orders have been issued authorising a scale of wages on famine relief works bearing a proportion to the selling prices of the staple food grains in the neighbourhood of the works. Government have issued orders for opening the forest lands for grazing, under certain restrictions. They have also made arrangements for facilitating the transport of cattle by railway from Sholapur and the eastward to Poona, in order to assist them on the way to find grazing on the hills and elsewhere.

'Collectors have received discretionary allowances for the support of indigent persons who are infirm or incapable. Strict orders have been issued on this subject, and if the funds that have been placed at the disposal of the collectors should become exhausted, additional grants will be made. The Sarvajanik Sabha will be doing good service to the Government and to the people, if, through their agents, they would endeavour to make the local grain-holders understand that prices cannot be long maintained in the face of the supplies which are daily arriving, and which will arrive shortly in probably larger quantities, and that for the same reason the stocks of grain in the country are not likely to fall below requirements before they are replenished by the next harvest. All who hold grain stocks to any extent must be among those who have a stake in the country, and it ought not to be difficult to make them understand what is very obvious, i.e., that it is not to their own interest to injure and disable the people, on whom the cultivation of the soil of this country depends, by abnormally running up prices; and that if they will consent to bring out and dispose of their stocks at fair

and moderate rates, they will be in a position to a great extent to rule the market prices of imported grain, and prevent the corn dealers making large abnormal profits at the expense of the country and of the ryots. It is not, of course, expected that such holders should altogether forego the advantage they possess at a time when, owing to failure of harvests, there has been a legitimate rise in the price of grain; but it is pointed out that, by grasping at inordinate profits, the grain holders, many of whom are themselves cultivators, are failing in their duties to their distressed fellow-countrymen, and are following a short-sighted policy, which, though it may secure them a present advantage, may also react upon themselves by inflicting an injury on the country generally of long duration.

'In conclusion I am to observe that the Government cannot always undertake to discuss in this form the merits or the demerits of the measures they may adopt or reject. They will, as heretofore, pay every attention to suggestions submitted, and will keep the public duly informed of the course of events and of the result of the efforts made for the relief of the prevailing distress. I am directed to forward for the information of the Sabha a copy of the last weekly statement regarding the distressed districts.'

The foregoing was one of the most satisfactory documents published during the whole campaign, and breathes a spirit of consideration towards non-official research and opinion foreign, under normal circumstances, to Indian departments.

During the progress of events described in the preceding pages, a voluminous correspondence by wire and dâk was passing between the Supreme Government and the local authorities. The latter wished to undertake large works; the former, for reasons already given in

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Chapter II. of the Madras narrative, were in favour only of small works being put in hand Being satisfied of the wisdom of the course it wished to adopt, the Bombay Government adhered most firmly to its decision, and strained relations were the consequence. At this juncture-the middle of December-two visitors arrived at Bombay who strove to settle once for all the questions in dispute between local and supreme authority. Lord Lytton reached the city on December 20, after a tour of two months in the States bordering the north-west frontier; Sir John Strachey, the new Finance Minister, had arrived a few days previously. Sir John is a man who, having once made up his mind, is not easily persuaded to alter it. He came to India with a famine policy fully thought out and clear from beginning to end. It was no theory, for he had put it into practice at Moradabad in 1861, and was prepared to have tried it in Bengal in 1874 if he had been in power in that province at the time. This policy was on the same lines as that adopted by Sir Philip Wodehouse and General Kennedy in Bombay. When, therefore, the question of famine administration came on for discussion, as it did very early during the Viceroy's visit, Sir John Strachey's influence was already enlisted on the side of the local Government. Lord Lytton, quick to perceive a good policy when it was laid before him, at once realised the position, and approved the carrying out of large works already begun and the commencement of others which were desired. It was pointed out that if the practice proposed by Sir Philip Wodehouse were pursued, revenue officials would have to take a secondary place, a position which they, as the Brahmans of the service, were not accustomed to, and the Department of Public Works would come to the front. There could be no doubt that this was, from an Indian point of view,

a startling innovation, but there was little hesitancy so far as the Viceroy was concerned in carrying out the system proposed. Notwithstanding the arrangements made, difficulties afterwards arose which will be described in due course.

While in Bombay, the Viceroy, in replying to an address from the Chamber of Commerce, took the opportunity to express the satisfaction of the Government of India with the manner in which the Government of Bombay was grappling with the difficult task imposed upon it. His Excellency added: The principles avowed by that Government as those which will guide its action appear to me to be generally sound and excellent. I am assured that the whole carrying power of the country is fully employed in forwarding to the affected districts grain procured by private enterprise. Happily, too, the crops in the Bengal Presidency and in British Burmah have been bountiful, so that there is no reason to apprehend any failure of the needful supplies.' On the same occasion the Viceroy thus expressed himself in regard to Government purchase of grain So far, therefore, any interference by the Government is clearly unnecessary, and I need only say that the Government would, under any circumstances, contemplate direct intervention for the supply of food to the distressed districts with the utmost possible reluctance. We certainly shall not think of undertaking any such operation unless and until it be imposed upon us by a complete collapse of private enterprise, which at present I see no reason whatever to expect. I cannot, of course, pledge the Government under any conceivable circumstances not to import food into the distressed districts. In a condition of affairs such as the present, the Government must of necessity reserve to itself in the last resort complete freedom of