Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-08-20
Scorpions in the Nubian Desert.

scorpions In inc N'iDlan Desert.
always haunted our tents, SO they did
our thoughts. Their bodies were as
broad, and almost as full, AS finger
their fangs as broad and plnmp as those
of small craw fishes. With these in the
| square position of weeyil's feelers
they usually measured. with their snake
of tail. from three to five inches
One brought home was pronounced tc
be equal to the largest ever preserved
in museums or pnrpetuated on zoologi
cal plates. They found out almost
every camp, and we found them usually
when starting in the morning under the
packages, saddles, and tent carpets
One was detected by colleague in a
pocket. Another s'ung the same man
before lunch in his tent. It is curious
that this should have been the same
man who received the visit from viper
One Was caught during meal on the
back of a chair. crawling toward the
sitter's neck, while he was just scanning
the ground to see whether any were
about. My servant more than once
turned them out of my bed, usually q
little before l turned in. but once q,
least from under my pillow immedi
stely after / had risen. Often, nc
doubt, they were removed without peo-
pie saying much about it, as bad cases
during epidemics are usually concealed
by the officers. The nuisance was not
quite so bad, or good, however, as to
make US desperately face the foe and
try to have done with it, by repeatedly
allowing ourselves to be stung on pur-
pose, as sort of incubation said ia
steel the frame against the pangs from
any subsequent accidents. A special
short pair of tongs, however, was at
these times always with my ready SER
want, and he used grimly to exhibit to
us with grin, while we were at table,
any remarkable specimen which he hap
pened to catcn, secured in these tongs.
did not encourage him to catch them
as sans facOa as servants in India do
attracting the vermin's several eyes by
moving a short straw on the ground,
like some PAaraonic locust, and then
elegantly taking hold with two fingers
of the tail like end of the abdomen close
to the sting. The smaller and slender
species, with narrow fangs of gall and
bile yellow, 1 found to be more numer-
GUS on the main stream and in the Della
of the Nile. These crawl with tail
curled up in all seasons. When we
asked our Nubian friends about the
man-slaughtering power of the dark
hard ones, We got the indirect answer
that they will kill camel!
When one Of the party was stung, we
Immediately took hold of his arm,
stopped the surface circulation by ban
dages above and below, tried to squeeze
out the venom, and then applied ammo
mia, that is, about twenty minutes. We
did not'apply ammonia inwardly. The
general circulation of the blood was
also sufficiently accelerated from the
natural excitement to make any stronger
expulsive stimulant than . safe glass of
wine unnecessary.
Our usual matutinal brushing was
supplemented by our brushing with
the pencils of our visual rays even the
interior of our sleeves, pockets, and the
like. Our camel-colored boots, shaken
after work, we shook again in the morn
ing, end erer before, from duet aud
sand usually gliding in over night.
But id the scorpion season and region
we did this ceremony, due to migrate.
full soils. with more attention, as We
were richer by one more interest in life.
Moreover, we did not chan 20 boots for
shoes in camp, but were rather careful
to have our neither sleeves within the
shafts Of the boots, or in gaiters or
Kniokerbockers. AHd we had an OBJ
jection, especially at night, when at
table, to having our feet reach the
ground, which we kept sweeping with
the brooms of our looks. A supply of
little iron saucers to put-Indian fash
ion-the bed legs in Was desirable; scor-
pions do not CROSS water for fear of
being killed by even one drop going
into what We may call their lungs
Harper's Weekly.