The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-11-03
FLEEING FROM
INDIAN HORNETS.
The Story Graphically Told by the
Heroine of the Escape.
DEATH SWARMING IN THE AIR.
Only the Courage Of q Native Groom
Saved Her Lifc-The Danger Not =.
Exaggerated and Not an I'M
usual One i'll India.

| The fearful effects which follow the
| stings Of some Of the insects Of India
have been frequently written about. but
the terror which is inspired by an attack
| OF Indian hornets was perhaps never
| more thrillingly described than by Mrs
| Gertrude Donaldson wife OF British
| government attache. in a letter to an En-
glish magazine. She describes an adven-
ture which befell her as she was return
ing from call upon one of the ladies
Of the English settlement in Singapore
riding in palanquin. which in Singapore
Is a sort Of cab, with glass doors. mounted
on four wheels.
AS the palanquin turned out Of the
gate at the end Of the long avenue which
led to the house. and advanced along the
road skirting the gardens, / was star
tied" she writes, "by hearing a loud
shout coming apparently from the jungle
quite close TO the wheels, but ] could
see no one. and began to think it must
have been my syce. though rather won
dering why so disnihed-looking an indi-
viual should have INDUCED IN such an
ccrie kind Of yell. Just then We came
upon a couple Of buckets cast down IN the
middle of the road. with the bamboo boy
which they had been carried lying beside
them.
The next moment. 90 my surprise. the
syco began lasting my horse violently.
which broke from its former JOg-trot into
n g1llop. and in a second we were tear
ms along at q brc1k-ncck pace. the paldn-
quin swaying from side tD side. ! was
considerably alarmed for / could see no
reason for the mans extraordinary con-
duct, and it seemed rs Il be had suddenly
gone mad. Just then a. peculiar tapping
sound overhead attracted my attention.
and after some hesitation / reliquished
my grasp Of the window lodges which
had seized IN my endeavor To- steady my
self on my seat. and leaning out Of the
door / gazed upward. / collapsed into the
carriage at once with a gasp of horror
Undoubtedly the man had gone of his
head. perhaps due 10 suustrOke-l had
heard OF heat apOpleXy affecting the
brain. ! thought. He WAS standing up on
the narrow f0Otboard. which IN itself APP
peared to me TO be an acrobatic feat
which could only have been attempted by
n madman. lie had removed his turban
and was waving n frantically above him,
while. with uncovered bead. he shook the
reins and shouted TO the horse. evidently
urging il 10 great speed I gave myself
up for lost. ami sat with fingers pressed
upon my eyes. awaiting the smash which
l was sure must come ! knew how haz-
ardOus II would be 10 jump out while
travelling al such pace. so there was
nothing for it but to sit stll.
And this ] did until a few minutes
later the carriage suddenly came to a
standstin with jerk which fang me on
the seat opposite. / soon recovered my
self. and opening the door steped hastily
into the road. needless Of the tropical
midday sun which biazcd overhead. But
the syce was quicker even than l. lie
had sprung off the box. and was tearins
of his clothing an the while moaning and
crying as II ia pain.
'The kabOons from the neishboring
gardens came running UP, and we were
soon surrounded by a small crowd, and
then I saw what had happened 1t need
ed no Interpretation 10 explain matters
when / beheld hornets almost as large as
locusts crawling over the mans back
and dropping from his garments. which
the kaboons were shaking where they
stood beside MS i'm the road.
"I realized then from what a horrible
fate this brave fellow had saved me. This
particular species OF hornet found In the
Malay Peninsula, are twice the size OF
English ones: their bodies are black with
a scarlet ring round them, and their sting
is very poisonous.
1.-THE poor syce was already covered
with swellings caused by the creatures
having crept inside his clothes. and his
head and neck we've terribly wounded,
leaving injuries which would probably
have proved fatal 20 a European. but
were less dangerous TO nonalcoholic mo
hammedan
what had happened was simply this:
4 tribe Of these hornets were swarmine
over the garden road al the point where
we traversed It. The shout ] had heard
was the warning voice Of the Chinese
coolie. who had thrown aside his buck
cts and had taken refuge under tho long
grass I'm the Jungle when the loud hum OF
the flying hornets first attracted his at
tention But his cry had some too late 10
stop nv driver who found the swarm
would be be upon us before he had time
10 turn round and go back, so he deter
mined TO make dash for it~Had he hes
itated. or with cOwardly self-considera-
tion. jumped Of and run for shelter as
the coolie had done. ! should have been
left to the chance Of being smashed mp
by runaway horse. Tor the hornets
would certainly have attacked the animal;
or. if they had entered the palanquin
and swarmed upon me. 10 the certainty Of
=, sudden and painful death As | write
I recall the sight Of n tablet which can
he seen in one Of the European churches
in Northern India. erected 20 the mem
DRY Of a young English lady. with these
fatcful words inscribed thereon: "Stung
10 death by bees near this spot Gin