Some landlords distributed money and food to their starving tenants;
but, I am sorry to have to say, that the number of such cases on record
is very limited.[23] There was no general combined effort to meet the
calamity, the Government taking no action whatever, except that the Lord
Lieutenant (the Duke of Devonshire) gave to the starving citizens of
Dublin L150 in two donations, and forbade, by proclamation, the
exportation of grain, meal, bread, etc., _except to England_,
"apprehending," says his Excellency, "that the exportation of corn will
be bad for the kingdom during this extreme season." Later on in the
Famine, and when about two hundred thousand of the people had died of
hunger and pestilence, there was another proclamation ordering a
_general fast_ for the success of his Majesty's arms against the King of
Spain! But the fasting does not seem to have had much effect; Admiral
Vernon, commander of the fleet at the seat of war in the West Indies,
took Portobello, but had to give it up again; he attacked Carthagena
with all his forces, was repulsed, and so the war ended.
To add to the miseries of the people there was a great drought all the
winter and spring.
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