and dare his resentment; just as a famine mob will do, when
urged by the same instinct, in a year of scarcity.

There is no beast, however, in the deepest jungle of Africa itself, so
wild, savage and ferocious, as a human mob, when left to its own blind
and headlong impulses. On the morning in question, the whole country was
pouring forth its famished hordes to intercept meal-carts and provision
vehicles of all descriptions, on their way to market or to the next
sea-port for shipment; or to attack the granaries of provision dealers,
and all who, having food in large quantities, refused to give it gratis,
or at a nominal price to the poor. Carts and cars, therefore, mostly
the property of unoffending persons, were stopped on the highways, there
broken, and the food which they carried openly taken away, and, in case
of resistance, those who had charge of them were severely beaten. Mills
were also attacked and pillaged, and in many instances large quantities
of flour and grain not only carried off, but wantonly and wickedly
strewn about the streets and destroyed.

In all these acts of violence there was very little shouting; the fact
being that the wretched people were not able to shout; unless on rare
occasions; and sooth to say, their vociferations were then but a faint
and feeble echo of the noisy tumults which in general characterize
the proceedings of excited and angry crowds. Truly, those pitiable
gatherings had their own peculiarities of misery. During the progress
of the pillage, individuals of every age, sex, and condition--so far
as condition can be applied to the lower classes--might be seen behind
ditches, in remote nooks--in porches of houses, and many on the open
highways and streets, eating, or rather gobbling up raw flour, or
oat-meal; others, more fortunate, were tearing and devouring bread,
with a fury, to which only the unnatural appetites of so many famished
maniacs could be compared. As might be expected, most of these
inconsiderate acts of license were punished by the consequences which
followed them. Sickness of various descriptions, giddiness, retchings,
fainting fits, convulsions, and in some cases, death itself, were
induced by this wolfish and frightful gluttony on the part of the
starving people. Others, however, who possessed more sense, and
maintained a greater restraint over their individual sufferings, might
be seen in all directions, hurrying home, loaded with provisions of the
most portab