The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-02-27

None but those who have travelled on
the Upper Amazons can have any idea
Of the number and voracity Of the insect
torments which work their wicked will
on the bodies Of the unfortunates ex-
posed 10 their attacks. The "sancudos,"
or small sand flies, form by far the most
important section. In the villages, round
which the forest Is cleared away for
some distance, the sancudos are gener-
ally pretty quiet during the day, except
where darkness prevails; there they are
ever busy, and are perfect plague.
The triumphant note Of a sancudo which
has made his way under your curtains
IS more annoying than even his bite
and should you have been careless IN
getting into bed, and been accompanied
by two or three Of these blood-suckers,
we will defy you to sleep until you have
cxterminated them.
In the forest and on the river the san
cudos are always busy. Men sometimes
get into the vessels tops, and there coy
or themselves with sacks, notwithstand-
ing the heat, rather than remain below
exposed to their attacks. Fortunately
they can not stand current OF air, and
so when under way the vessel Is COM
paratively free from them, but when ~
anchor these pests are something awiui.
To get rid Of them is next TO Impossible.
Creosotc will keep them on, but inc
remedy is as bad As the disease. WHITE
wash will drive them away, but wh,n
dry its power ceases; and the only
thing to do is either to cover all exposed
parts Of the body with black pigment z
Ia mode Indiennc, or else TO "grin anu
bear it,
Scarcely less troublesome than the
sancudos are the mosquitoes, altnough
they have the negative merit OF biting
only by day. They are minute Great
: ures. not much larger than pin head;
: thew prefer the backs Of the hands 10
e anv other spots for their attacks. But,
q unlike the sancudo, which, when un-
u disturbed. rorges himself until unable
n 70 ay. and becomes an easy prey TO
y your avenging finger, the mosquito
D, never seems 10 take too much 10 prevent
= his escape on the slightest appearance
D. Of dangar, being evidently just as wide
;. awake when full as when empty.
y, EVERYWHERE in long grass turks the
a. mouuim,- "A little red insect SO small
~ as TO be almost imperceptible, but which
O. fastens on the legs, causing the mos
~ intolerabe itching.
" There Is a fy which burrows in thu
er skin and deposits an egg, both in human
OF beings and animals. This produces
or maggot, similar in shape TO that OF tn
ne common blow-hy, but much larger
zee probably analogous to the Guinea-worm
" Then there are " chigos, which bur
10 row mostly in the solcs Of the feet. 40
~ feel an intense itching, and on examl
70. nation find little thing like pea Jus
az under the epidermis; this i the ba
containing the young chigos, whic
m must be carefully picked out with ~
", point 81 knife, and the cavity ie
inc filed with tobacco ash.
ave Huge spiders abound, whose very al
ma pearance inspires wholesome dread !
ore 4 nearer acquaintance, but which al
ne harmless enough If let alone. In lac
,hc on board the steamers, almost eyel
liar cabin i tenanted by one large spide
sea whose presence is tolerated on accou
the ~ his being deadly foe 70 cockroache
Po- which abominable creatures swarm
ms, board. Sometimes he Is not visible !
ory A fortnight or more at time, but
loI leaves tokens Of "having been there
MI, in the shape Of the empty husks
au cockroachcs. from which he has cal
pns. fully distracted the interior. The
ow- spiders have the power Of spring.
rom upon their prey from distance,
geu some Of them are so large and power
aP- as to kill and devour small birds.
.ssa- In passing through the narrow for
tues paths Il Is necessary to be on the To-
ever out for the wood-ticks, which are v
ting difficult 10 get rid Of If once firmly
long tached; also for the huge black al
Tow An inch and a half in length, v
sous stings like hornets; and the sa'
our ant. without sting, but armed with |
TWO pers like pair Of surgical bone-i
noI ceps, which are running about cev'
hper where. One may sometimes cha
areiy mon a column Of the dreaded !" 4
IONS ants marching in regular milit
ne OF order: and il he does, the only thinE
San 10 bolt M once, for neither man
iat ~ beast NAV withstand the iire-ant
niles live. When mt length the trav
xciu- stops 10 rest. he must take care 20
reign anime the camping ground TO see
anu neither centipcdc nor scorpion y IN
! has Frequently both centipcdcs and :
ces 10 n;ons are found on the steamers, ~
gives duced, no doubt, in the wood used
peace fuel. One day. while the writer
title watching the hands taking wood
canoes lonpside, from one Of the
1ment ,s;.chod AZ hoard was dislodged
rican. pion, which fell on the naked LETT
say Of a man keeping tally at the gang
'duca- Astonished By his sudden flight thr'
serv- the air, the animal remained peri
Inns still. The man never moved ml
real a .aa o,,;a,lv raising his right !
. pur- a;nned n away with his fingers
'pacco thumb. II was very neatly and 9
res 70 done; and lie thus escaped
e sale ..h;c,, ~ ~ doubt would have rec