Directory_and_Chronicle_1850 — Page 140

1850.

Years of Famine at Shángkái.

117

dering the authorities to distribute one tau of rice (about a peck) to every adult, and half as much to every child living in the maritime dis- tricts which had been submerged; more than 3600 peculs were dis- bursed. During six months, over 25,800 peculs were distributed among the poor. The grain junks were also detained, and rice sold from them at a cheap rate. The governor Kiáu Shíchin made a dona- tion of 400 taels to be laid out in alms.

In 1743, the price of rice rose very high, and the prefect Yarha had the tact to get the rich families to act generously and sell grain cheap to those who were suffering. In 1747, the waters rose and caused great distress; congee was given out to the starving, and food supplied to the people for a month. Money was furnished to bury those who had been drowned, and to assist in rebuilding those dwellings which had been destroyed. The district magistrate Wáng Ting subscribed his own salary, and exhorted the benevolent among the gentry and people in the city and villages to assist in carrying these intentions into effect. The next year there was a storm of hail which did great damage, so that his majesty sent orders to lend out seed as might be needed, about one fifth of a peck to an eighth of an acre; and to those persons who had been the greatest sufferers the preceding year, a month's provision was lent. Food being very dear at the time, Wáng exhorted the gentry and tradesmen to sell food cheap as they had done the previous, year.

In the next year, there was an epidemic, and the district magistrate Lí Wanyáu gavé all his salary to buy medicines for the sick. In 1765, the dearth was very severe, and seed was lent to the farmers. The intendant Shin, and the magistrate Lí, both gave up their salaries to induce others to contribute. In the next spring, the dearth was still more severe, and the pestilence again appeared; rice was sold cheap as formerly For those who had died in the waste places boxes were furnished to the extent of a thousand to bury them. The villagers themselves, at the Yoh-wang temple and monastery of Extended Hap- piness, dealt out cash and congee, or ginger soup; and even old gar- ments, and thus saved many lives.

In 1794, there were many bad omens, and the famine waxed sore in the spring of the next year, so that the gentry of the city generally subscribed millet to be made into soups for distribution; and for the time, they employed Wang Tingfang, to superintend the business. The dead were so numerous that they lay in the highways, (lit. “used each other for pillows.")

In 1804, the price of grain being high, it was sold out cheap, and many of the literary persons and people distributed millet to the poor-