INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

MITIGATIVE MEASURES. 205
famine tracts, the proportion...was known to have
risen to over seven per cent. This movement
was entirely spontaneous; and to such an extent
was it carried, that in some of the districts bordering
on the famine tract, special measures of
relief became necessary there also, notwithstanding
that they had reaped a" magnificent
harvest generally." In connection with tbis subject
of migration, Colonel B. Smith notices a
curious and praiseworthy trait. He mentions
that "a sort of rotation of relief was established"
in many villages. "Families whose
meagre home-sources were not altogether exhausted,
adopted the plan of living in two
sections, one going to work for a certain time,
while the other remained at home." The
working section, after a spell on the reliefworks,
returned home, when No.2 section took
their place on the works. Thus a much larger
community may be said to have been supported
than the actual numbers on the works represented;
while the little agricultural work possible
at such times in and around the villages
received its just amount of attention.
The account of the wanderings of the in-