Shanghai, 15th March 1877.
Received
Rood James Thomas
to
Right Reverend
Bishop Burdon, D.D.
HongHong
Jamine in China -
Appeal for aid towards the relief Fund of -
Enclosure no Im Adiminist I. Gardiner Austin's Despatek Ro 63 of 28th March 1877.
THE CHINA MAIL.
HONGKONG, TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1877.
AN APPEAL ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRESSED CHINESE IN THE NORTH.
To the Editor of the "CHINA MAIL."
Netherlands Consulate,
Hongkong, 20th March, 1877.
DEAR SIR,-I have been requested by His Excellency the Netherlands Minister in China to have the enclosed Circular, asking for help from Netherlands Subjects here und at Outports for the distressed Chinese in the North, published in the Local Papera, if those will kindly assist therein; and I shall therefore feel obliged, if you can ren-der this service to the good intentions of His Excellency.
I am, Dear Sir, Yours truly,
LUDWIG BEYKE,
H. Netherlands M's Consul.
NETHERLAND LEGATION IN CHINA.
To His Netherland Majesty's Consuls and Supjects in China, Japan, the Philippines, Hongkong, Macao, Cochin-China, Siam, Straits' Settlements and India,
GENTLEMEN,
It was pretty generally known that during the autumn of last year various parts of the Provinces of Shantung and Chihli had suffered from a drought, which would result in more or less distress from the scarcity of food that must necessarily follow, and indeed symptoms-in themselves grave-began to be manifest as winter approached, though only trifling as compared with what has occurred.
Towards the middle of November regular communication from reliable sources in the interior of Shantung ceased, and native report was the only source of information as to the condition of the suffering province. It appears that, in the interim, matters were becoming daily more and more aggravated, and that the aid given by the Chinese Government towards the suffering districts, proved not to be sufficient, so that urgent appeal was made to the people of other provinces and the foreign communities in China.
About the 25th of January communications were again opened with the coast, but unfortunately the first letter, coming through Chinese hands, only reached its destination long after subsequent accounts which confirmed the worst fears and depicted a state of unutterable distress. The word which now reaches us says that thousands are already dead of starvation, and thousands more are starving.
The principal scenes of these sufferings in Shantung are eight hien, viz: Liu-ku, I-tu, Chang-lo, Weihien, Lo-ngan, Show-kwang, Ling to and Poling. Of these Lin-ku suffers most and gets 10,000 taels in relief, from the 46,000 taels granted, for all, by the Government; but though the distribution of gruel has doubled, yet the suffering has more than doubled. The people have eaten up the little crop they got in the autumn and now are in the direst plight, and their cry is no longer for rain, but for food.
With reference to the extent and degree of sufferings the following details will give an idea. A moderate hien contains about 1,000 villages. Villages of 500 families report 300 persons dead of starvation; villages of 300 families, 100 persons, and so on. One village in Liu-ku had 180 inhabitants in it last summer; now there remain 99, 40 are dead and the rest gone away.
The course of the distress seems to be that as soon as the corn is all eaten, they resort to the husks; then potatoe-stalks, elm-bark, turnip leaves, acorns and grass seeds gathered in the fields. When these are all done, they pull down their houses, sell their timber, eat the rotten sorghum stalks from the roof, and the dried leaves, which they usually burn as fuel. Thousands eat fuel leaves, and thousands more die because they cannot get them. Then they sell their clothes and children. Having no more clothes many take refuge in pits built under ground, to keep themselves warm by the foetid breath of the crowd—a course which is bought dearly. For the east suburb of Ching-chow city there are four such pits. One third of the number, 240, originally put in them, died within six weeks, and yet no sooner is a corpse carried out than a crowd is struggling for the place. All this has wrought a great change in the spirit of the people. Late in the autumn they were strong and daring, and although life and property were then at their mercy, no popular disturbance of any kind has taken place. Now the fare they have had for many months has broken their spirits, and they are quiet and submissive to their dreadful fate. Starvation by inches faces these unfortunate people, and deputations of old men, who come to beg relief, weep like little children before you, when they find there is none to be had. Not a day passes but one must refuse to many who ask it, perhaps the last bit they would have eaten.
The Chinese Government and the people of the other provinces do what they can, but the calamity is too great to be met by ordinary means. There is a Government distribution of gruel to the value of six or eight cash per person per day. Many have lived on nothing else for two months, and are getting so weak that young men of twenty years cannot walk three miles for it. If it is so with youth, how must it be with the infant and the aged? Even though the gentry have in many places doubled the Government aid by their contributions, yet it is estimated soberly that there are districts in Liu-Ku, where "half the people will not live to see the wheat crop ripe, if no support comes from outside. To all this there is added the one capital aggravating circumstance—the depreciation of the land to about eighty per cent below its normal value. Next comes the fixing of an upward limit for the price of grain, thus preventing the influx of supplies from neighbouring provinces. There has been no such famine as this in these parts for 90 years, since the 51st year of Kien-lung (A.D. 1786). The number of lives saved and orphans rescued will only be limited by the amount of money placed at the disposal of the distributors. Thousands may be tided over the famine at $4.00 per head. Who would not like to be the deliverer of fifty or a hundred human beings from starvation, where nothing but money is to be given? These are the heartrending accounts which reach us here daily. This is not pleading for charity to the poor, but for the ransom of their lives.
I therefore take the liberty to appeal to the Netherland Consuls and my countrymen in this and the adjacent countries to give a helping hand during this exceptional famine and distress in the two above-named provinces of China. The Netherland Consuls at Shanghai and at Chefoo will receive all gifts collected by His Majesty's Consuls at other ports in China, Japan, the Philippines, Hongkong, Macao, Cochin-China, Siam, the Straits Settlements and India, and hand these collections over to proper persons in the interior for distribution, of which an account will be published in due time, in the local papers of Shanghai, for the information of those who have responded to this appeal on behalf of our starving fellow-creatures in China.
I have the honor, etc.,
J. H. FERGUSON,
H. N. M. Minister-Resident and Consul General in China.
CHEFOO, 1st March, 1877.
394
Shanghai, 15th March 1877.
Received
Rood James Thomas
to
Right Reverend
Bishop Burdon, D.D.
HongHong
Jamine in China -
Appeal for aid towards the relief Fund of -
Enclosure no Im Adiminist I. Gardiner Austin's Despatek Ro 63 of 28th March 1877.
THE CHINA MAIL.
HONGKONG, TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1877.
AN APPEAL ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRESSED CHINESE IN THE NORTH.
To the Editor of the "CHINA MAIL."
Netherlands Consulate,
Hongkong, 20th March, 1877. DEAR SIR,-I have been requested by His Excellency the Netherlands Minister in China to have the enclosed Circular, asking for help from Netherlands Subjects here und at Outports for the distressed Chinese in the North, published in the Local Papera, if those will kindly assist therein; and I shall therefore feel obliged, if you can ren- der this service to the good intentions of His Excellency.
I am, Dear Sir, Yours truly,
LUDWIG BEYKE,
H. Netherlands M's Consul.
NETHERLAND LEGATION IN CHINA. To His Netherland Majesty's Consuls and Supjects in China, Japan, the Philip- pines, Hongkong, Macao, Cochin-China, "Siam, Straits' Settlements and India, GENTLEMEN, It was pretty generally known that during the autumn of last year various parts of the Provinces of Shantung and Chihli had suffered from a drought, which would result in more or less distress from the scarcity of food that must necessarily follow, and indeed symptoms-in themselves grave-began to be manifest as winter ap- proached, though only trifling as compared with what has occurred.
Towards the middle of November regular communication from reliable sources in the interior of Shantung ceased, and native report was the only source of information as to the condition of the suffering province. It appears that, in the interim, matters were becoming daily more and more aggravated, and that the aid given by the Chinese Go. vernment towards the suffering districts, proved not to be sufficient, so that urgent appeal was made to the people of other provinces and the foreign communities in China.
About the 25th of January communica- stions were again opened with the coast, but unfortunately the first letter, coming through Chinese hands, only reached its destina- tien long after subsequent accounts which confirmed the worst fears and depicted a state of anutterable distress. The word which now reaches us says that thousands are already dead of starvation, and thousands more are starving.
The principal scenes of these sufferings in Shantung are eight hiens, viz: Liu-ku, I-tu, Chang-lo, Weihien, Lo-ngan, Show-kwang, Ling to and Poling. Of these Lin-ku suffers most and gets 10,000 taels in relief, from the 46,000 taels granted, for all, by the Government; but though the distribu tion of gruel has doubled, yet the suffering hat more then doubled. The people have eaton up the little crop they got in the autumn and now are in the direst plight, and their cry is no longer for rain, but for 16.
With reference to the extent and degree of sufferings the following details will give an idea. A moderate hien contains about 1,000 villages. Villages of 500 families report 300 persons desd of starvation; villager of 300 families, 100 persons, and so A: One village in Liti-ku hed 180 inhabl- tants in it last summer; now there remain 99, 40 are dead and the rest gone away,
The course of the distress seotna to ba that as soon as the corn is all anten, they resʊge -
to the husks; thon potatoe-stalks, elm-bark, turnip leaves, acorns and grass seeds gather- ed in the fields. When these are all done, they pall down their houses, sell their timber, eat the rotten sorghum stalks from the roof, and the dried leaves, which they usually burn as fuel. Thousands eat fuel leaves, and thousands more die because they cannot get them. Then they sell their clothes and children. Having no more clothes many take refuge in pits built nuder ground, to keep themselves warm by the foetid breath of the crowd--a course which is bought dearly. For the east suburb of Ching-chow city there are four such pits. One third of the number, 240, originally put in them, died within six weeks, and yet no sooner is a corpse carried out than a erowd is struggling for the place. All this has wrought a great change in the spirit of the people. Late in the autumn they were strong and daring, and although life and property were then at their mercy, no popular disturbance of any kind has taken place. Now the fare they have had for many months has broken their spirits, and they are quiet and submissive to their dreadful fate. Starvation by inches faces these unfortunate people, and deputations of old men, whe come to beg relief, weep like little children before you, when they find there is none to be had. Not a day passes but one must refuse to many who ask it, perhaps the last bit they would have
eaten.
The Chinese Government and the people of the other provinces do what they can, but the calamity is too great to be met by ordinary means. There is a Government distribution of gruel to the value of six or eight cash per person per day. Many have lived on nothing else for two months, and are getting so weak that young men of twenty years cannot walk three miles for it. If it is so with youth, how must it be with the infant and the aged? Even though the gentry have in many places doubled the Go- vernment aid by their contributions, yet it is estimated soberly that there are districts in Liu-Ku, where "half the people will not live to see the wheat crop ripe, if no support. comes from outside. To all this there is added the one capital aggravating circum- stance the depreciation of the laud to about eighty per cent below its normal value. Next comes the fixing of an upward limit for the price of grain, thus preventing the influx of supplies from neighbouring pro vinces. There has been no such famine as this in these parts for 90 years, since the 51st year of Kien-lung (A. D. 1786). The number of lives saved and orphans rescued will only be limited by the amount of money placed at the disposal of the distributors. Thousands may be tided over the famine at $4.00 per head. Who would not like to be the deliverer of fifty or a hundred human beings from starvation, where nothing but money is to be given? These are the heartrending accounts which reach us here daily. This is not pleading for charity to the poor, but for the ransom of their lives. I therefore take the liberty to appeal to the Netherland Consuls and my countrymen in this and the adjacent countries to give s helping hand during this exceptional famine and distress in the two above-named proa vinces of China. The Netherland Consuls at Shanghai and at Chefee will receive all gifts collected by His Majesty's Consuls at other porte in China, Japan, the Philippines, Hongkong Macao, Coohin-China, Siam, the Straits Settlements and India, and hand these collections over to proper persons in the interior for distribution, of which un account will be published in due time, in the local papers of Shanghai, for the in- formation of those who have responded to this appeal on behalf of our starving fellow. creatures in China.
i have the honor, eta,
J. H. FERGUSUN,
H. N. M. Minister-Resident and Consul General in China.
CHEFOO, 1st March, 1877.
394
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