The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-12-02

lie tDougat ne was u uISss uii'9Sb III ~
> best garments, he was to appear ant
/ deliver his best thoughts, in his best style
TO those who stood to hear him. Ant
/ theuce i, happens that, as he always gave
/ n the course OF his long life, Thoughts
which were the result Of thorough prepara
ton, the public came to understand tha
what Mr. Webster said was worth reading
Hence, what he did say was read more
than The productions Of any man who was
his compeer n The country. 1t has seem
ed to me, sir, TO be proper to make these
few remarks, at this time and place, tor the
beneii, Of all who hear them.
ILOcuSTs AS FOOD IN THE DESERT OF
ZAHARA.
/ In and about this valley there were
great fights Of locusls. During the day
they might be seen flying around very
thickly in the atmosphere; but the copious
dews and chilly air in the night render
them unable TO fly, and they settle down
Oh the bushes. II was the constant en-
Ipioyment of the natives in the night to
gather these insects from the bushes, which
they did in grea, quantities. My masters
family, each with small bag, went on,
the first night upon this employment, car
rying very large bag to bring home the
fruits Of their labor. My mistress Fa,ima,
however, and tue two children, remained
in the tent declined this employment,
aud retired to rest under the large tent
The next day the family returned loaded
with locusts, and judging by the eye OF the
quantity produced, there must have been
about fifteen bushels. This may appear
10 be large quantity TO be gathered in Sc
short time but it is scarcely worth men
tloning when compared with the loads OF
them gathered sometimes, IN the more
fertile part OF the country over which they
pass, Ieavnga track of desoiation behind.
But as they were the first, in any consid-
cradle quantity, that had seen, and the
irsl that had seen cooked and eaten, ]
mention i, in this place, hoping hereafter
10 give my readers more particular intor-
tlation concerning these wonderful and
destructive insects, which, from the days
oil Moses 10 this time, have been consider
ed, by Jews and Mahometans, as the most
severe Judgment heaven can inllict upon
man. But whatever the Egyptians might
have thought in ancient days, or the Moors
or Araos in those Of modern date, the
Arabs who are compelled to inhabit the
desert of Zahara, SO far from considering
a flight OF iocus,s as Judgment upon then
for their transgressions, welcome their ap
IL af
them from famshing with hunger, The
whole that were brought to the tent a
this time were cooked while alive, as in
deed they always are, for a dead locust i
never cooked. The manner Of cooking j!
by digging deep hole in the ground
building fire at the bottom, as before des
cribed, and filling it up with wood. After
it is heated as not as possible, the Goals
aud embers are taken out, and they pre-
pare to fill the cavity with the locusts con
fined in a large bag. A sufficient mum.
Der Of the natives hold the bag perpendicu-
larry over the hole, the mouth OF it being
near the surface OF the ground. mum
Der stand around the hole with sticks
The mouth Of the bag is then opened, ant
il is shaken with great force, the locust
falling into the hot pit, and the surround
ing natives throwing sand upon them, 4
prevent them from flying off. The mouth
of the hole is then covered with sand, and
another fire bull, upon the top oft.
| In this manner they cook all they have
: on hand, and dig number Of holes suffi
cient TO accomplish it, each containing
about five bushels. They remain in The
hole until they become sufficiently cool t
be taken out with the hand. They ars
then picked out, aud thrown upon tent
; cloths or blankest, and remain in the SUI
10 dry, where they must be watched will
the utmost care to prevent the live locusi'
,, from deyouring them, if fight happens Il
be passing at the time. When they are
perfectly dried, which is not done short Q
Two or three days, they are slightly pound
; ed and pressed into bags aud skins, ready
for transportation. To prepare them tt
eat, they are pulverzed in mortars, and
, mixed with water sufficient TO make kint
of dry pudding. They are, however
sometimes eaten singIy, without pulyeriz
: ing, by breaking off the head, wings snt
legs, and swallowing the remaining part
Ia whatever manner they are eaten, the,
are nourishing food.
1t is not only by the Inhabitants Of the
: Great Desert that the locusts nre haileo
with ioy The Hotten,ois also give then
hearty welcome, and make many hear
" meal upon them too-not only eating
them in large quantities, but making .
sort of coffee coloreG soup of their eggs.
Locusls are cooked in various ways
roasted, boiled, and fried. Sometimes they
are ground up in hand mills, or pounded
between two stones, and then mixed with
flour, and made into cakes and baked.
They are also saIted and smoked, ane
packed away against time Of Scarcity
1t is said they taste very much like fish
aud are particularly light, delicate anc
" holesome food They are carried int
many Of the towns Of Africa by wagol
loads, as we bring poultry to market.
Non paying subscribers are thus talked
TO By Southern editor;
; Wagons cannot run without wheels
boats without steam--bul frogs jump with
} out legs, or newspapers be carried on al
lima bnuf ,,anov ,,,nrs