Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-01
UeANDA'S INSECT PLAGUE
SOME OF THE TERRoRS OF
HOUSEKEEPING IN AFRICA.
Natives Methods of Dealing With
Mosquitoes and Cockroaches,
Ticks, Jiggers and Beetles.
From the Cornhill Magazine.

From the Cornhill Magazine.
We christened our house The Barn Its
walls and floors were poor in plane sur
faces; they bulged unexpectedly. There
, was no ceiling, and from the old matched
roof gamboling snakes and rats shook
down unsavory particles upon our food.
During the rains this thatch leaked in
| spouts Of, muddy water like the nose Of a
watering pot, so that there was practi-
cally no dry spot in the bedrooms. and
in time l became accustomed to sleeping
under a macintosh and umbrella. Ven
tilated roofs of this nature were not I'M
| common in the station.
The windows of our dwelling house were
meager Sits with calico nailed across
them instead of glass, but We had four
excellent doorways. To one door there
was lock and key: another possessed a
handle; the third had no fastening at all,
and the fourth did not exist. Every
night we mettodically turned our only
key in its lock, determined that such
luxury should not want recognition, but
there was nothing to prevent all the bur-
glars in Uganda from streaming through
the three other entrances. and L have al
ways wondered why on earth they never
did so.
From the moment of our arrival at The
Barn it became evident that my lot in life
was to contend hourly with predatory IN
sects. who, like tropical insects every
where. seemed to pursue their nefarous
callings at night and day unresttng. Thus
the war waged against them was always a
losing one, for while we slept they bit,
chewed and devoured: they bored. tunnel
ed and climbed, and we woke in the morn
ing to find fresh ravages as the results of
their nights zeal. There were not only
the usual mosquitoes that fed upon u.s.
and the usual flsh-tail insects that chew
ed our wooden clothing, and the usual
cockroaches that bloated themselves on
our silken vestments. but there were
others.
Feeding on Wood.
There were insects that sprang and in
sects that did not spring: there were ticks
of revolving outline: there were jiggers
who famed us times without number;
there were boring beetles who conscien-
tiously mined out the interior of all serv-
iceable wood till our chairs and tables be-
came hollow shams. tottering to destruc-
ton before our eyes; there were little ants
who swarrned up gfddy heights in order to
fatten on butter; there were 1g-bod1ed.
gluttonous ants who swelled themselves
on sugar eaten in secret. and-woe was
me-there were whole empires of white
ants, who flourished their tunnels and
traceries of red mud in every direction
These we're omnivorous and omnipreSent.
we cOulO nduS 10 p1CluTeS, iOT IHSy dtS
them, They ate my only waterproof and
throve upon it. In my ignorance Of their
powers I put up dado of native bark
cloth to hide the marks of their industry
in our sitting room, and while 1 was
down with fever they ate the dado. In
spite of incessant watchfulness and daily
tappings of the walls they de feated US
continually. and to this day I can think
of no more detestable sound than the dry
rafting made by them If disturbed in
their crimes.
Publication.
When the interesting collections of in
sect life indoors were held to have ex-
ceeded the average the remedy of the
country was extremely simple. Every
stick of our belongings was carried forth
and recklessly dumped in the compound
Then came the chain gang. laden with
baskets of COW dung, and, shooting the
substance broadcast into our rooms. they
proceeded to plaster the floors with 1t.
Camped into the compound we'll to wind
ward of our home, I wore out the long
hours of eviction in no patient spirit.
for not being Hindu. I found it difficult
to regard this process as one of sacred
publication. although something of the
kind was certainly intended. By evening
the work was done. and the house. hav
ing been thus newly decorated, was hur-
riedly refurnished, so that we were able
to eat what dinner we could amid a SAVIOR
of fifty concentrated cowyards. Presum-
ably the insects persisted. L know that
very nearly did.