The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

It appears from the late papers that there has been a great scarcity of grain in most parts of Europe, especially in the Ecclesiastical states, and other places on the Mediterranean where the people had suffered great distress, and were threatened with all the horrors of famine; the governments were using all means in their power to procure relief, by distributing the grain in their stores, purchasing from other states, and encouraging its importation,

--yet, notwithstanding, the supply that had then arrived, was so insufficient, that there were great clamours and disturbances among the people, the famine was increasing; Turkey corn (the same as Indian) beans, and lupines, were employed to make bread, which the people came in tumultuous crowds to receive --For five days the churches had been filled, at Naples, &c. with penitents imploring Heaven to remove the public calamities. Great numbers of women and girls walked the streets in procession, barefooted, their hair loose, and halters about their necks, the head and blood of St. Januarius had been exposed, and public prayers were ordered, &c.

--Considering the great droughts and unreasonable weather, the storms, tempests, and floods with which most part of Europe have been visited for some years past, together with the desolating wars, which not only took off great numbers from the business of agriculture, but prevented or destroyed the labours of those employ'd in it, it is no wonder there should be scarcity of grain and provision, but rather that it is not more general and distressing.

In England, tho' appearances in the spring were very alarming, yet the weather afterwards proved so favourable, that the harvest was plentiful beyond expectation, yet the demand for grain abroad being so extraordinary, has occasion'd the exportation of an amazing quantity, and also of provisions from Ireland; which it has at last (perhaps too late) been found necessary to put a stop to by authority: for provisions of all kinds were risen in England to a price greatly beyond what was ever known before, so that great numbers of poor people were in danger of being starved or ruined. So that this distress was thought to be as much owing to the villainous arts of engrossers, as to real scarcity. The corn exported was expected to sell for very high prices, but by the last mails from Lisbon there were advices that the court of Portugal stop'd all ships loaded with corn, which called in there, though that market was so excessively glutted by the number of ships arrived, that in a short space of time, the loss must be immense to the British traders; who by advices from the Spanish and Italian markets, had reason to expect the most inviting success, if their ships were not stopped at Lisbon; for which the officers produce the King's decree, passed in the year 1757, never heard of before.