The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-06-20
NUMBER II.


were bent TO the ground with the
mass OF locusts which covered it, and
having shaken the bush, there fell on
to the blanket more locuSts than he
could possibly carry. These he roast
ed tor himself, his servants and his
dogs. He found that they were high
~ prlzed by the natives of South
Africa, as affording fattening and
wholesome food to man, birds and all
sorts OF beasts-cOws and horses, lions,
JackaiS, hyenas, antelopes, elephants.
ETC., devOur them.
The following morning, soon after
sunrise, he looked back, and saw the
iocusts stretched to the west in vast
clouds resembling smoke, but soon
afterwards the wind, yeering round,
brought them back towards him,
and they flew over his head, actually
darkening the sun for a considerable
period.
Equally wonderful is the account
ola locust invasion of Syria, as reIat-
ed by DR.. William Thompson. He
tells how, in the early spring, a
flying squadron--the pioneers of the
vast army-passed over the land,
leaving it thickly soWn with their
eggs, lying IN little masses, cemented
together, scattered all over fields,
plain and desert ground. This done,
these harbingerS of woe vanished;
but within couple of months the
very dust seemed to awaken to life
and to creep, Soon these infinitesi-
mai moving atoms developed into
minute grasshopper5, who began
their destructive existence, all moving
forward in one general direction. a
creeping, jumping mass of living par
ticies.
DR.. Thomson describes his first
glimpse Of this phenomenon. He
was riding near Fuliyeh, when it
struck him that the side of hill had
a peculiar appearance. Riding up to
it, to his amaZement the whole sur
face became agitated, and began to
roll dOWnWardS. His horse was so
frightened that he had to diSmount.
Then he perceived that this animat-
ed dust was composed of minute lo-
Gusts, so young that they could not
even jump; but in their infantile
alarm they rolled over and over. pro-
ducing an effect like the movement
of fluid mortar.
On another occasion he rode
through district where the work of
eXtirpation was going on. 1t was
near The Plain OF Acre, and swarm
Of locustS had Overrun the whole re-
giOn. The Governor of kabul had
summoned every man, woman and
cnIld in the nelghbOrhOOd to lend
| their aId IN the cannon cause. The
| foe had not yet grown their wings,
and being unable to fly, We're COM
! pell d TO run in whatever direction
| they were driven. So the people
formed. vast circle, beating the
| bushes and shouting, in order to
fGi9hten the insect host and drive
! them towards an isolated hill covered
with dry grass. Soon the hill be-
| came black with the countless myr-
lads which thrOnged it. Then the
! grass was set on fire in different
places, and the flames, famed by a
| strong breeze, soon spread over the
whole hill, filling the air with an
0VerpoWering smell of roast locust,
| Tine same operation was performed
at many different points in the
neighbOrhOOd with very excellent re-
suits.
Some years later DR.. TOmson made
a still more intimate acquaintance
with these gentle destroyers. He
was Lying at 'Abeih, on Mount Le-
banOn, when an alarm was raised
that incaIcuIable swarms of young
locuats We're marching up the valley
towards the village. The inhabi-
tantS turned out to endeat0 t0r, if pos
sible, TO turn aside their line of
march. This they soon found to be
altogether futile. The whole face of
the mountain was black with the
closely serrieG ranks, which adyanc-
Ell steadily like a Well-disciplined
army. There were at the wingless
stage, and Of the size of average
grasshOppers. Nothing checked
their steady onward progress.
Trenches were dug, fires were
kindled. thousands We're slain. Slill
fresh hOrdes pressed on in bewilder-
ing muItitude7. Right up the
mountain they advanced, scaling
rocks and walls, hedges and bitches,
the c0rpses of the slain only serving
AS bridges to facilitate the progress of
the newcomers. Even when the
foremost ranks reached the palace of
the Emir they did not turn aside to
avoid its walls, but climbed straight
up and went over the other side.
Thus they scaled every house in the
town, always going straight ahead,
regardless of all obstacles. If it be
true that straightforward makes
the best runner" in life, we might,
perchance, find worse examples than
the lOcusls. Hoping at least to be
able TO protect his own little garden,
DIR. Tomson hired a number of labor
ers to keep up fires, and to remain on
watch, heating the locusts off the