Delaware gazette and peninsula advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1814-1820, 1817-05-31

y 1
on the twig, and fly from five miles to
one hundred, without stopping, just
as the country seems TO please their
taste, and they then so on as l have
before described.
Dry warm seasons are favorable to
The breeding of locusts. and very
wet colo one is sure to destroy them
in the empire of Morocco, until thel
flights come again from other parts.
| | do not know precisely the months
| in which the female locust makes her
deposit of eggs, only that it is in the
latter part Of the summer, or first OF
the fall months. The old locusts
Having done their share of mischief,
are either driven off by the winds in
to the sea, or die natural death !;
thus making room for new and more
hungry swarm. When all have DIS
appeared in the Moorish empire, a
few flights are seen to come from the
Iborders of the desart, or from the
!, coasts of Egypt, which again lay
,lwaste the whole country, until they
|are in their turn destroyed by frequent
, rains and cold damps, or strong gales
from the land, which sweep them into
1.-The ocean. 1t is said at Moga|ore,
and believed by the Moors, Christians
$ and Jews, that the Bcrebcries inhah-
lifting the Atlas mountains. have the
! power to destroy every flight Of To-
E Gusts that comes from the south and
:. from the east. and thus ward off this
n dreadful scourge from all the coun-
= tries north and west OF this stupesdous
E ridge, merely by building large fires
d on those paris of the ridge over which
r the locusts are known aiwa, to pass,
o land in the season when shey are likely
Ito appear, whiel, is at a definite periot
{ within certain number 81 days. Il
+ ALMOST every year. The Atlas bein
: ihlgn, and the peaks covered witt
t, snow, these insects become chilled i,
5 passing over them. when seeing til,
e fires. they are attracted by the glare
a and plunge into the flames. | do no
: know what degeee Of credit ought t.
g he attached to this opinion, but il i.
{ certain that the Moorish Sultan uset
il to pay considerable SUN of money
y yearly to certain inhabitants Of ths
4 sides of the Atlas in order to keep thu
:. iocusts out OF his don;uions. TIL,
J. Mours and Jews further affirm, thai
Ii during the time in which the Sultar
c Ipaid the aforesaid yearly stipen,
! pnnctnalIy, not locust was to BIZ
II seen in his domipions north and ives
c Iof the Atlas, but that about six year.
!, ago the emperor refused to pay thu
i stipulated sum, because no locust.
y troubled his country, and thought HI
t had been imposed upon; and it 8,
/, happened thar tho very same yearth'
I~--ots a6.i. .,.sdo tiitir appearance
Il and have continued to lay waste the
: country ever since.
: Locusts are esteemed very good
/, food by the Moors, Arabs and jew
' in Rarbars vino catch large nunihv..
/ |oi' them in their SEASON AID throw
. Them, while jumping alive, into pat
OF boiling Arsan oil here they his
!, aud fly lutii their wings are burnet
4 I9lI. and their bodies are sufficient,
Cooked, when they are poured ont AL,
{ eaten. | have seen many illousans
{ Looked in this manner. and have hat
the curiosity to taste them: they re
II u spf,, 4 Il,
a yoiks of hard boiled hens eggs. AT
a tier my arrival at 'langier, on convers
!, ling w;tl, our consul general, Mr.
u Simpson. respecting the locusts, h
/! Ironiirmed the circumstance Of what
j. Had before heard and observed mysel
film i;arbary concerning them. Thi
e Iravenous insect had actually caused
ii famine in that part of the country, s.
" that MIR. Simpson and the othe
y Christian Consul at Tangier were o
J. bliged to send 60 Gibraltar, and bu
II American -four for the ordinary con
u sumption Of their families inierio
II American -four was then selling a
Il langier for SIS per barrel, athoug
he f,eiorr the scarcity oceasioned by ii,
y locust. the fine Barbary wheat use
ii io be sold for one dollar and a hal
.e per barrel.
MIR. Simpson further stated, tina
in the year 1914. TO the best of m
&c recollection as TO the time) being wit
n, al, family at his house on Mout
he y ashington, near Cape Spartel; an
ut where tic locust covered the Who'll
AS face of the ground at night. when II
nd AROSE the next morning, he could n,