The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-09-22
The Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia

under my foot. ! pressed hard with that
leg, and saw the snakes little head
stretching out to bite me on the ankle
Fortunately my foot was on him at so
short n distance from his head that he
could not get at me. | drew my dagger
and cut off his head
On another occasion noticed two eagles
rising and alling like arrows amongst the
bushes. always at the same pace Curl
Gus to see what kind OF animal they were
attacking approached the place, but no
sooner had | done so than an enormous
aiir-mOrani, furious with the wounds the
eagles had int ictcd on him, advanced to
meet me. retreated. He coilcd himself
up gave n spring ana almost caught me
on the face. BY an instantaneous move
ment | made a spring backwards and
avoided him, but | took care not 10 turn
my back and run, for then should have
been lost
The serpent returned to the charge,
bounding towards me. / again avoided
him. and was trying but in vain to reach
him with my dagger when an Indian. who
perceived me from q distance, ran up,
arm,i with stout stick, and rid me OF
him.
THE PLAGUE OF LOCUsrs.
Never was life more actively spent, or
more crowded with emotions than the
time passed al JalaJala but il suited
my tastes and my character, and I en-
,oysd as perfect happiness as one can
hook for when far away from ones home
and court-y. My Anna was to me an
angel OF goodness: my Indians were happy
peace and plenty smiled upon their fami-
hes. my fields were co, cred with abund-
ant crops, and my pasturages with nunler-
Gus herds.
1t was net, however, without great diff
Guilty and much toll that accomplished
my aim. Often did | find all my courage
and all my philosophy necessary to face.
without DESPAIR, rcVerseS which il was
impossible for. me to avoid. Often did
behold hurricanes and foundations de-
stroy the fine harvest that | had pro-
tected with so much labor against the
buffalo. the wild bears the monkeys. and
even against an insect more destructive
still than all the ether pests which have
.ust mentioned-the locust, one of the
plaques Of Egypt, apparently transported |
into tins province, and which, almost |
regularly every seven years leave the
isles OF the south in Clouds and fall upon |
Luzsn, bringing de~olation and often |
famine.
It is indeed necessary 70 have Witnessed |
this dessiation e be able t. form any
idea of it. When the iocusts arrive a fire.
sslored c1sud Is perceived in the horizon,
formed Of csuatle-. myriads OF these de-
tuctive insects. They fly rapidly, often
OF two or three leagues in diane ter, and
occupy from fire to six consecutive hours
in passing overhead.
II they perceive a fine green field they
pOuncc down upon it, and in u few m1u tes
all verdurc has disappeared. the ground
is stripped completely bare; they then
continue their fight elsewhere. bearing
on their wings destruction and famine i
At evening it is in the forests upon the
trees, that they take shelter. They hang
The bouehs that they break down even the
stOuteSt limbs from the trees
During the night from the spot where
hey are rePOsing there issues continual
and so loud noise that one =
scarcely believes it to be produced by so {
hey leave at daybreak, and the trees
!pOn which they haze repOSed are left
stripped and broken, us though the light
ing mad swept the forest in every direc- I
ion; they pursue their course elsewhere =
. commit fresh ravageS. =
At certain periods they remain on vast
'lains or on fertile mountains, where
iongating the extremity of their bodies i'm =
he form of a gimblet, they pierce the earth
D the depth of an inch and upwards to
ep0SIt their eggs. The operation of lay :,
ne being completed, they leave the ground
ierced like sieve, and disappear, for v
heir existence has now reached it's ter &
linatiOn Three weeks afterwards, how
yer. the eggs open, and myriads Of young T
DcuStS swarm the earth. On the spot v
here they are born, whatever will serve O
hem for fond is quickly consumed. a
AS soon as they have acquired sufficient ! b
tFength they abandon their birth place. f
estroy all kinds of veeet on tn; comes a
\ their way, and direct their course t, the K
ut waited fields, which they desolate un %
! the period when their wings appear. i
hey then Ike flight in order to devas- n
-tc more distant Plantations
as may be seen, agriculture in the d
hihppines presents many difficulties.
W u also yields results that may be
'oked for in vain in any other country.