Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-04-24
Mosquitoes in Central America.

A correspondent with the expedition
surveying for the Darien canal thus de.
scrlbes a night among the mosquitoes
on the Paranehita river: They came
we had expected them-not in tens OF
thousands but in tens of millions multi
piled by ten times ten-the mosquitoes,
hungry and ravenous, not mendicants,
but bullets that wouldn't be put down.
Twilight there was none. 1t merely
winked and disappeared, and pitch was
no qualifying adjective for the darkness
that ensued 1t was night of torture
in the fullest sense-torture of the mind
apprehending pain-torture of the body
feeling it. Anchored close to the swamp,
they had full swing at u.s. Not a leaf
stirred, and the sullen river, black as
midnight, flowed down at its ease. The
silence was awful, and save for the. occa-
sional screech of an owl on tree hard
by, and who must have gone there for
the express purpose of watching and
chuckling over our sulferings, for he re-
mained there all night-save for his un-
welcome cry of delight, the shrek of a
parrot or the plunging of an alligator
there was no sound of life. 1t may be
mentioned that the entire party was
confined in the stern of the launch,
within a space of about six feet by ten,
while the men slept forward, or rather
tried to do so, but in vain.
AT halfpast six o clock dinner came;
but masticaton or anything else that
might contribute to the comfort of the
inner or outer man was entirely out OF
the question. The lighted candles had
acted like lucky beacons to the voracious
vampires. Open your mouth and scores
charged in with the foot-drink and
myriads congregated for rush. Most
of the dinner was put away untouched
none of it was eaten with relish. Armed
with towel all hands fought vigorously
for while, and, slashing right and left,
endeavored to keep them at bay. Kill
and crush a thousand of them, fiatten
them on the seat, ilatten them on your
face and neck-the neck was favorite
spot-stamp them on the ground, make
all sorts of wild and fantastic gestures
they cared not Thousands were ready
to supply the place of the fallen dead,
with defiant chorus that lent energy to
to the attack and made the victim vince
with pain.
The combat went on for hours. There
was no escape. Cover yourself up, and
the suffocating heat made you gasp for
air. Use net, and you are generally
enveloped in a cloud of the furious be-
siegers. Some tried to joke, but their
laughter dwindled to CHASTITY smile.
The more musically inclined ventured
on song to beguile the dreary hours
Scarcely, however, would the timid effort
of the vocalist be commenced when
painful shout would quickly bring the
concert to a close. Story telling failed,
for the narrator, being frequently called
mp to inhict upon himself corporeal pun
ishment in the vain task to punish his
would forget the thread of
his discourse. Repeated efforts were
made to sleep, but there being no place
to suspend the nets, the mosquitoes
speedily drove all from their cramped
resting places.
The mineralogist, who lay on one of
he little seats, his head almost touching
lis knees, groaned deeply in the Ger
nan language, and wished himself at the |
north pole. In fact, all desired change !
If base. And thus passed the night. |
Utterly exhausted one or two surren-
Tered themselves to the mercy of the in
,aders, and finally fell into a fretful doze. |
Never was dawn more heartily welcomed. |
With daylight came relief, for the mos
Iuitoes, gorged to their hearts content,
ay sleeping under the awning of the
aunch in countless thousands. They
Tere revengefully repelled, but not with
ut having left sad and nnmistakable
races of their visit.