The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-07-09
INSECTS KEEP GUARD.
Mines of Mineral Riches Rendered
Inaccessible to Prospectors by
Poisonous SwarmS.

POISONOUS SwarmS.
Some of the richest strikes of gold
are so zealously guarded by venomous
insects that man after repeated efforts
has given up the struggle. Mines lie
unclaimed, fabulous wealth accurately
located is left untouched because of
these lit lie pests, says the Philadelphia
Press.
Ants are at present the worst enc
mics of the West Australian gold pros
pectors. They are not particularly
poisonous, but they have an odor so
abominable that if one SO much as
touches a piece of bread or meat, such
food becomes uneatable and must be
thrown away.
In some places up near the granite
ridge which lies between the coast des-
ert and the inland waste of spinifex
scrub there are claims extremely rich
in gold which have been abandoned
simply on account of these pestiferous
insects.
About 20 miles from Mount Reid, on
the west coast of Tasmania, there is
creek which is known to be rich in
alluvial gold. Every now and then dur
ing the winter party of prospectors
go up to this place and begin gold
washing, but SO soon as the warm
weather comes on back they come.
The sand flies render life absolutely
unbearable. These sand flies are tiny
black insects, so small that mosquito
net will not keep them out. They bite
venomously, and seem specially fond of
settling upon the eyes. Men are fire.
quently completely blinded by their
bites.
A representative of the Alaska &
Dominion Trading company, who went
up the Yukon three years ago, has just
returned after remarkable expert
ence with mosquitoes.
In the summer of 1900 he and a
friend, with couple of Indian guides
went up from Dawson City to a place
called Vehner's lake, where it was said
that a very rich find of placer gold
had been made. They were warned
that mosquitoes were worse in that
| region than anywhere else, so they
provided themselves with every pos
sible protection, including heavy hat
| nets.
They found that the reports they
had heard failed to equal the reality
The insects hung over the water like
thick clouds of smoke; they were twice
as big as the ordinary species, and
their stings were like prods from a
| red-hOt needle.
On their way up the stream along
! which they were rowing they heard 9
| feeble cry from the bank. They lande ed
and found an unhappy miner almos,
| at deaths door.
1t appeared that some days before
| he had lost one of his boots in fordine
a creek. The mosquitoes had settled
on his exposed foot and bitten it sc
| frightfully that it swelled enormous
| ly and became useless.
Unable to walk, the wretched mar
had been lying where they found hin
for 4S hours. He had covered his in
| jured foot with clay, but the flesh hae
mortified and he was in a desperate
| condition.
| He told his rescuers that he ha6
been on his way down to Dawson Cit,
to find partner to help him work 4
new claim where gold, he said, wa.
as thick as gravel. He had about hin
nearly three pounds weight of very
pure coarse gold.
In his gratitude he promised Il
show his rescuers where this E
Dorado lay. But before he could d,
so he diea Of blood poisoning induced
by the bites, and the secret of hi
find died with him.
The mosquitoes still guard thi
marvellous claim, and prospectors ar,
very shy of venturing up into so dan
gerous neighborhood. o.
An ancient mine, once worked b,
Indians, and reported fabulously rich
lies in the mountains of Durango. il
Mexico. But so venomous and nu
merous are the scorpions which in
habit this barren region of rocks an
sand that almost every exploring
party which has endeavored to locat
this long-lost treasure house has los
one or more of it's members, an
money will not persuade the native
of the region to venture there.
Out Of the Ordinary.