The Famine In China

IFrom the Davenport (towa) OazottO.] Tlio following, from a private letter received ly Mrs. Dr. M. W. Portor, from her danghtor, Miss Mnry Q. Porter, inissiocary in China, dated Peking, April 22, 1878, givcs n terrible account of the horrors experienced in the lamine district in the North of China : "Ever since I carne back hero we have. been henring tales upoii tales of the horror from the famino district. Thousands have died, and whole villages have been depopulnted. The country is tilled with rcf ugees, fleeing from death only to meet it on the way, or in the orowded eities to wbioh they fleo. One poor rotiu reached Peking fiom a distant point, nnd, as passing the gate of a missionary, be feil down exhausted. They took him in, bnt he died íifter a day or two. The professional beggars have a hard time now, too. Prices are very high, and ro many to give to. We see men lying in the streets dying, nud on our wuy to the eouthern cities often see dead bodies covered, waitiig for burial. Large sums have been sent from England aud raised in China for relief of sufferiug pecple. Also a little from Americn. I see by late papers that the suin now raised araoants to something more than $850,000; but communioation is so wretched that the process of relief must be slow at best. Many must die beforo help can possibly reacii them. There is a gentleman in ono of the most distant pointa distributing and reporting to the comraittee that has the maiter in hand. Then other misf,ionary gentlemen take turns raaking tours to distribute funds. Mr. Davis nul Xn: Pyko aro both away now, and wken thry get back Messrs. Lowry audPiio.her go. Other missions also take part. The gentlemen in a most distant part and longest afllicted district send reporte of most horrible state of thiugs. Dead bodies dragged about by dogs; 7h0l0 families Ijing unburied; entire vülages depopulnted; mothers drooping exhausted by the roadsido unrtble to ever rise ngaixi; stai-ving children in arms; people almost dead watehed by hungry dogs; human flesh sold for food; mc-n afraid to leavo their homes; houses torn down and material sold for food; clothing, bedding, everything taken to satisfy craving appetiles. Tlie greatest dietress is in Shansi Province and soutlic-rn part of ShautuDg. In modified forms it enters Chili, the province in which we are. A few days ago we fcared we shonld be quite ín the midst of it, as a winter of almost no snow, and a spriDg of no rain thus far, threa tened destruction to spring crops the only hope of the peoplo for "tuis year. (Of conrse we with moLey e.ould próvido oursolves from foreign stores.) But last Frïday and Saturday very heavy rain feil, and now it must be that tiie prospect is botter. My Chinese teacher makes tlio wise remark that ' if they had railroads many lives might be sa ved.' Want of rain' had been the chicf cause of famine. Of course the district is largor than in the flrst yoar. This is the third year."