Nothing satisfactory has been heard from the Bengal famine dis-
tricts except a statement, which we believe to be correct, that large quantities of food have been purchased secretly. On the contrary, the latest telegram from the Viceroy, who now telegraphs on Friday, possibly to avoid criticism in the weekly papers, is that "distress is inevitable in Behar "—distress meaning with him such suffer- ing that one-tenth of the distressed must be supported by State relief, —and-that his means of transport are "defective," though "maturing." The correspondent of the Times announces a little rain South of the Ganges, but repeats his statement that the wells are drying up, and prices rising, though he adds that the Himalayan snowfall has been great, a good omen for the summer. We should add that prices are very deceptive guides in Indian famines. As the average of wages is only 8s. a month, and a. household needs on famine rations 1 maunds of rice a month, the price seldom goes above 8s. The mass can pay no more, and in the Orissa famine, when a million of people perished, prices never rose above 10s. a maund.
