INDIAN FAMINES - Institute for Social and Economic Change

80 RECENT FAMINES.
From the wide extent of the famine tract, however,
and the distance the emigrants had to
travel, the cattle were soon reduced to skeletons.
Moreover, they would not thrive on the
poor herbage of other countries, after the ricb
grasses which had been so congenial to them at
home. Their poor owners did not like to see
them starving, so offered them for sale for a
trifle, keeping, however, their plough-bullocks,
which they fostered with great care to the last.
Splendid young milch-cows were to be had for
one rupee each; but at the worst periods, when
the owners were starving with hunger, a pair
of bullocks was not to be got under ten
rupees. .
"On the 19th July 1869, the rains at last
set in, but in many places too lightly to moisten
the earth sufficiently for agricultural operations.
At Jodhpore itself none fell till September 9.
Towards the end of July the falls became more
general in the country, and the spirit of the
people revived. They had lost their cattle,
and had no' plough-bullocks; therefore, making
small ploughs expressly for the purpose, they
yoked themselves in place of the oxen, whilst