The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-11-27

] see by the foreign kilograms that
north Africa is threatened by swarm
of iocustS. which reminds me, says an
India correspondent of the St Louis
Globe Democrat, that | saw devastating
attacks of those terrible insects in
southern and northern India. The
first was in the Tinncvally district
Madras presidency, in the great famine
year. was finishing my big break
fast when the tchsildar came To my
tent and said: 'Wc are going 20 be
auain troubled" "What with?" "LO-
Gusts" I had heard Of their visits and
pulled n long face. The famine was
practically over. The crops were just
beginning 10 show their grecncry. and
everything was prOpitiouS. The gov
ernmcut was merely carrying the
natives over till such a time as the grain
ripcned and harvest commenced. l fol
lowed the tehsildar To the door of my
tent and saw "A huge black cloud in the
east.
1t came nearer and nearer. and soon
the sky grew darkcncd, the sun was
completely obScured aud whirr and
click like many millions of sewing ma
chimes were in the air. The noise was
terrific. Suddenly that great black
animated cloud settled on a patch about
a mile distant aud gave uS breathing
time arainSt their assault. The tchSildar
hurried back - the village NV Serv-
aats stripped the huge tents of their
verandas and placed the awning care
fully over young row of green peas
Vcpetabl We're similarly covered
In the village all was turmoil The
4 ,., ~
bows rushing aimlessly about with tom
toms. gums and other noisc-producing
Instruments. The tchsildar had given
orders 10 charge full of gunpowder an
ancient fieldpicce, a relic of the days of
Dutch supremacy The tiat stone roofs
were covered with men carrying arms
and whistles and the great parapetS of
tine huge temple were alive with human
beings.
On came the locusts. The guns
barllcd, the cannon numbered, the
whistles blew, the tom-tOm claShcd.
women screamed and men shouted, dogs
snarled. but il was of no avail. The IN
Sects settled down on the fields adjoIn-
ing the village, and on the trees, and in
n few hours the place was clean of veg
citation. | never saw such destruction,
so complete. so absolute. 50 thorough
Thousands of the pests were slain, but
the clicl, OF their jaws ceased not, and
when every blade was dcvourcd, on
they swept. The next time ! made the
acquaintance of the hungry locust was .
IA Agra. | was staying with a gentle
man well known throughout the north
west whose house on the Jumna road
is much admired Tor the beauty of the
gardens Ia it there are magnificent
tamarind trees, q noble avcunc of null
berry trees. mango, and other lovely
trcns belonging t. India.
TIVE iocusts attacked the place about
+en Il. m, and after they had satisfied
themselves you would have imagined
-oIt great fort bad opened fire on the
ID, voted place. Enormous branches had
neon brolscu down by the winged pests,
ana in several instances only the parent
item of the trees was standing. An out
house, which was covered with q
EorgcouS crcCper, was literally crushed
IL on account of the numbers that set
t'cd thereon. Agra was bare. Not a
.lraru WAS left. not blade of grass.
aad thc expenditure of gunpowdcr was
fearful The lOcUsts are said TO be
edible lut 7 never yet found a person
Who had initiated John the BAPTIST