To the Editor of the Norra-Carxa Dairy News, Dean Sin,—At the risk of hearing some one say "the old subject again ad nauseam, T venture to send you a communication just received from Moukden. It is pleasing to think the appearance of things everywhere, even in that most Northern part, is promising. It will require very little more help apparently to meet all demands, and happily the Famine Committee - is sufficiently able to mest the necessity. It is well, however, to muke known the real condition of things, and this letter' from Moukcden tells its own tale.
Thave also a letter from M. Volonteri, Vicar-Apostolic of Honan, giving a minute account of money sent bini and the manner of its distribution. He fully confirms the cheering prospect of things there as reported from other places.
Yours truly, 6th July.
Report of Journey of fourteen days' duration to the distressed districts near Moukden.
Woe are unable yet to report any improvement in the condition of the people the famine-stricken districts near Me den. Day after day representatives sei from various vil r and near besiege the gates of the Mission Houses here, and mothers too, with their children, come and sit at these gates hour after hour and on any one entering of departing they beseech that assistance be given them or sent to their village immediately. These requests Mr. Webster tries to comply with as far as he can; whether, then, we judge from the number of the people who day by day come seeking assistance or from what we find ty be the condition of the people when we visit their homes, it is evident that at no previous time during all these months have the people suffered more than they are suffering at present.
Thave just returned from a journey of a fortnight's duration during which I visited three of our centres of distribution of relief and examined into the actual condition of the lo visiting many of thei houses, Ha barely a house sist T fad any grain, only leaves, sprouts and roots. In not a few instances the people made a little flour by grinding the roots.
I met with several cases of extreme destitution; one case in particular struck me forcibly. I noticed the Chinaman who was with me bending down and looking in every earnestly at some opening in the ground, and thought that it must be some drain and that the novelty of the cireumtance was exciting his curiosity. But no! When I went forward I found that he was looking in through a small opening at a subterranean apartment in which' were living a woman with three children, But one child would evidently not live much longer while the mother and the other (ren appeared to be suffering from fever.
'0 food, not even leaves or roots were in the apartment, for the inmates were too weak to go out in search of anything, and their neighbours had.not yet Brought any supply to them that day.
uring the month of May little or no rain fell in these parts and the crops as a consequence of this drought were getting scorched, but abundant showers fell last week (for three successive nights rain fell almost in torrents), and now the prospect looks not at all disheartening. But another month must elapse before the early crops are reaped, and until these crops are reaped, we must help the people or else the death rate will be very high, for the extreme heat will work its ravages.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.