Year: 1867

farmer residing at Brookland Farm,
Weybridge, was dressing in order to at
tend the rent audit at Woburn House.
Before putting on his coat, he perceiy.
ed from his window an unusually large
swarm of bees, filling the air with their
cloud and noise. II was, in fact, as he
afterwards ascertained, two swarms that
had come out Of Two distinct hives, and
had united in the air. He ran out in
bis shirt sleeves, and without his hat, to
see where they would alight. The bees,
after making some circles in the air, led
him off to the bank Of the river Wey.
ThiBking hat the bees might cross the
river, and perhaps escape, he adopted a
plan not uncommon with bee masters,
viz: that of throwing dust into the air
among the bees. This often makes
them settle quickly. They did settle
quickly, and this more so than he expect.
ed, for in a short lime the whole OF one
OF the largest swarms that he had ever
seen, settled upon his head, face and
breast. They hung down in from: like
great beard to the bottom ofhis waistcoat.
Had he not been well accustomed to
bees and perfectly collected, his situa.
tion would have been very dangerous
one; for, had he at all irritated this
mass Of armed Insects, he would no
doubt have received sufficient number
of stings to have placed his life in peril.
lie was obliged to close his eyes slowly,
and 10 keep his mouth shut. Then, in
order TO prevent their entering his nos.
trils, which they endeavored to do, he
slowly thrust one hand through the
mass, and with his two fore fingers man.
aged TO keep drawing and pushing them
away from his nostrils as they tried to
enter. This was necessary, as bees are
generally iIritated by being breathed
upon.


He then begged to consider what
course he should take. lie was some
distance from his house, and no one
near him, or within call. His FIRST
thought was 10 walk slowly into The
river Wey, and gently sink his head
under the water and thus throw off the
swarm. But moments consideration
diSsuaded him from that attempted rem.
edy. He could not have disenoaged
them all, for many were between his
neck. cloth and the skin, and still more
were crawling down his back. He
found that If he walked he could not
help disturbing the hanging mass, and
that every agitation, however slight,
caused a hum and hiss from some thous.
ands. He then remembered the nc.
count given in Thorley's work on bees
Of a swarm settling on the face and neck
Of a servant maid, who escaped unhurt
by lhe care and advice of her master
he, without irritating the swarm, hsv>
ing hived it off from her with hive
we'll smeared With honey. To avoid
agiiating the swarm, Mr.. Simmonds
slowly knelt down.on the grass and re-
mained perfectly still. He then found
number of bees were gathering in a
mass under the waistbaud Of his trows
sers, in the hollow of his back, 10 which
spot the others were drawing, indica.
ting that The queen was there. Fear
ing therefore, that the tightness of the
Observation-Disclosures tighter whenever
be breathed-might crush, or at any
rate irrilate this part of the swarm, he
slowly unbultoned the front of his
trowsers.


II is not easy to conceive a more
helpless condition than that TO which
Mr.. Simmouds was now reduced. He
that was the master Of forty hives, from
which he could usually levy what spoils
he pleased, killing his thousands at his
pleasure with a birthstone match, was
now completely in the power of one de-
tachment Of his own army, and was
reduced to the most suppliant position
Even to call for help would have been
dangerous, as the bees near his mouth
would have been undoubtedly irritated
and would have probably entered his
mouth. At this moment he heard q
train on the Chertsey Branch Railway
from which he was distant about fifty
yards. 1t fortunately happened that the
engine driver was known to him, and
had little commission from him tc
sound the railway whistle If he should
see anything wrong among his cows and
sheep.


This engine driver seeing Mr.. Sim
monds on his knees, with one arm ex
tended as if for help and something ode
hanging from bis face sounded his whis
tie. This was heard by Mr.. Simmonds
wife, who, supposing that some COW wa
sick, sent her son and a farming maj
out into the fields. They soon fapnt
MIR. Simmonds in :he predicament abov
described. In addition to the hanging
mass, there was cloud Of bees still fly
ing around him, so that TO approach
him was not the most agreeable Ofhc'
However, they came near enough I
| hnar him snaak which ha did var