Little news has come to hand this week of the
Bengal Famine. There is no doubt that at present the relief is adequate to the prevention of a high death-rate, though not to that of deep wretchedness in many districts, and that success or failure now depends upon the rains, which ought to commence before our next issue appears, and their effect. Old natives, it would appear, are expecting a second failure of the crop ; but their judgments are necessarily empirical, and except in North Tirhoot, we see no sign why the rains should be insufficient. If they are, all efforts hitherto used, great as they have been, will be as nothing to the need ; but there is no evidence whatever about them, and as yet the Government and the famine contend on equal terms, Government getting slightly the best of the struggle,--that is, defeating the famine, except when it breaks out suddenly in some new place, as, for instance, Manbhoom, which was not expected to go.
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