INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

RECENT FAJflNES. 57
to the depressed state of trade between Calcutta
and what were generally the flourishing cities
of Northern India. They wrote: "It is considered
that these markets hav&, during the last
two or three months, taken from Calcutta onethird
to one-half only of the ordinary quantity."
On the strength of the letter from which the
foregoing is quoted, the Government appointed
Colonel Baird Smith, RE., C.B., to inquire into
the causes and effects of this depressed state of
trade, and other cognate famine matters. From
this proceeding resulted a report, which was the
first, and what is now considered one of the
authorities extant, on the subject of famines.
There are no other characteristics peculiar to
this famine which it will be necessary to notice
here. The amount of remissions of revenue
and of " Tuccavee" made by Government, show
that funds and relief were available without
stint. The mortality, no doubt, was fearful j
but there is no proof that Government did not
act up to the light of the social principles of
that day for the relief of the sufferers.
The great famine of 1866 now comes to our