INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

196 PREVENTIJTE AND
these prevailing, no one can look forward t,·
any preconcerted action being taken to provid,
against such calamities. Another phase of th,
oriental character is depicted in the followin b·
The quotation is the reply to No. 74 question (tb.
last) put by the Orissa Famine ComIQissioner,
in the examination of Mr H. A. Harris, commander
of a steamer, and who during the Oriss"
famine was employed piloting vessels to Balasore,
and generally assisting in relief operations.
The question was, " Do you remember anything
else remarkable that you saw 1 " Reply:" I
saw some very curious traits among the peopl,
of Orissa that made it difficult to deal witlJ
them. Able-oodied men who were offered work
would refuse it, and would sit down under;
tree till they got thin enough to get gratuitouc
relief. I found dead bodies with actually G
or 7 seers· of rice on their persons. Peopll'
would come into the Dhurmsallah t with 10 01
12 seers of rice on their persons; they would
keep the cooked rice until it was absoluteh
rotten-people that were so bad that they Iw"
• 12 to 14 lb.
t Wh~re the food was distributed gratuitously.