Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-07-28
TERRIBLE AFRICAN INSECT
1t Duries Itsslf in the Flesh and BE-
gins to Law Eggs.

! We were blowing against the current
in the Mozambique channel on a
steamer. Every mile brought us near
er the equator, and, in spite OF fair
breeze, the motley complement of pas
sengers fairly gasped for breath.
! capt HAN, my travelling companion,
and | stood leaning over a temporary
railing, which had been erected amid
ships on the port side to divide the
second-class from the third-class deck
room. The latter was occupied by 500
Mahometans travelling from Cape
Town to Mecca
All day the Moslems were either pre-
pairing their daily repast of mealies,
attempting to get some sleep with their
robes drawn over their eyes, or listen
ing TO a priest who used the fo'cas'le
deck for a pulpit.
We had just completed the purchase
of two pair of sandals from a Muezzin
on board, and declared our intention of
wearing them when we landed at Be-
ira in Mozambique.
Don't dare to-" continued the skip
per. who had been in the East African
trade twenty years. For goodness
sake, have you never heard of the ma
tachino? Well, III tell you about it,"
But the captain never did. The low.
black coast of Mozambique was sighted
at that moment. and the best of navi-
cation had to be used in entering the
shallow bay, into which empties the
Pungwee river al Beira. So the skip
per hurried to the bridge and left us
wondering what the matachino could
be.
We found out later on, and so did
others, some to their horror. In fact.
the matachino got chummy with the
passengers Immediately upon their
landing
Not even the huge scorpions and
deadly spiders which infest East Afri-
ca along the Mozambique coast are
dreaded so much as this insect, which
resembles, in some ways, the American
tick.
The matachino, however, is a much
more serious proposition. 1t lives in
the sand and is so small that it is diff
cult to see with the naked eye. In
twinkling it fastens to ones foot bores
beneath the skin and hides itself.
There is an itching feeling, but with
the other sensations of this sort in a
hot climate one is likely TO overlook
the matachinO bite. In thrty-six hours
this insect has deposited eggs, which
hatch almost Immediately. You then
have several hundred matachinos in
your ankle or foot, and you are in a
Jolly bad way" as the English resi-
dent will calmly tell you.
The streets of Bera are of sand, into
which your foot sinks up to the ankle.
Though four big steamship lines do
business there. not horse or OK can
be seen. Neither would be of service
in such roads. All traffic is done with
little trucks run on narrow gauge
tracks and pushed by native Africans.
Every one. therefore, must wade
through the sand, fine ladies with pref
ty hose and Partisan boots. just as well
as a naked Zulu, whose feet are often
so callous as to faze the most vicious
matachino.
The matachino is not to be trifed
with. and you soon learn to squat down
in the sand, and look at your foot.
when there is a suspicious biting SEN
sation. Those who have strong nerves
carry a sharp knife and cut out the in
sect themselves. The Africans do this,
and it is not an uncommon sight to see
boy drop a load of lumber, sit down
and perform surgical operation and
continue his labor.
AS far as l could learn, the mata-
chino is indigenous only to Northern
Mozambique, for in Delago bay they
did not seem to be troubled with it
Philadelphia Inquirer.