The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-19
TRAVELS OF an INSECT.
A Troublesome South American Native
Slow but Stendy Round the Mnrl,

a troublesome South American Natives
Slow but Steady Progress Round the World.
The bigger. one OF the insect nests OF tho
west Indies and South America. has at last
crossed equatorial Africa from the Atlantic to
Zanzibar. about 200 miles. twenty-six years
after its Introduction into the Continent. This
variety oil the flea. much smaller than the COM
mon lien. is very troublesome. and II its at.
tacks upon n few animals. including man, are
not prevented. it is sometimes fatal to life. Ths
TACT that its gradual advance among the ma
tives OF Africa threw them into transformation.
OFTEN causing the abandonment Of villages and
districts. has made it easy to trace its progress
step by step, and n brief sum mary OF its iour-
hey across Africa will be interesting as a strik.
ing illustration Of insect navigation.
A sailing vessel arrived at Ambriz. Angola,
IN september, 1872. from Brazil with sand BAL
last. which she dumped on the beach. The
Jigger had crossed the ocean in this sand and
its propensity" for boring through the akin and
lodging between the cuticle and the flesh soon
made It's presence Known. There are ~effectivs
means OF preventing its attacks. but before the
natives learned how to deal with II the littla
pest caused great suffering. 1t was long AGO
evident that the Jigger was not using its own
powers OF iocomotion to any large extent in
us Journey through Africa. hut that it was car
RED by caravans In the porterage service.
In 1888 travellers crossing the Continent
from Zanzibar heard nothing Of the iiceor tII
they arrived within 800 miles of the Atlantic,
IL had taken the insect thirteen years TO pene-
trate this distance into Africa. The natives at
STANLEY Fool had witnessed with sorrow ths
advent oil tho unwelcome visitor that abided
with them. hut sent on colonies further up the
river. Thenceforth the Jigger's progress was
moro RAPID. Tor steamboats, and caravans
were multinlying on tho upper Congo.
seven years later, in 1892. Dr.. Oscar Baumann
reported the arrival of the pest at Bukumbi
GuIi' midway on the south coast of Victoria
Nyanza. 1t was still unknown on the east
shores OF the lake. The natives declared that il
had been brrouGhtto the west coast bv Stanley's
eNpedition for the relief Of FInin Pasha. How
ever that may he, the Jlgger appeared about
thr same. tim" throughout most Of the central
axe region. following the caravan route from
me upper Congo through Manyeina to Lake
IhnganyiKa, The natives along the edge q,
nIctorla NyanZa suffered terribly from the in
niTTiion, and many villages We're abandoned.
lhrce years. more elapsed before the mis-
,,hohnries AZ Mpwhpwa reported the arrival OF
me JlgGer among the mountains at that point.
~ niles from the Indian Ocean. 1t took the
Itspct tWo years more To reach the coast towns
!, Iasi AREA, where i appeared almost stimuli
IIaneonsiy. lateih 1857. at all the towns between
Bhgamoya and Pangani. along seventy miles oi
fnc coast, and another year elapsed before. late
III iaIl, II was jumping along the sands OF Fan
The people Of the east coast have suffersd
comparatively little in comparison with the in.
iEnnh tribes, for hundreds Of Xanaibaris who
turned home aud spread he Information tbgt
rubbing with tobacco leaves and. above ali
ejTT M, and the wearing Of shoes. are
o'irutlNH protection against the Tiger.
after ls long Journey from Brazil the Tiger
~ ~ now established at the busy mart whencs
tiGeanica, There seems no good reason Whv
ms perseyering and successful traveller should
NOT gIrale the tropical world.