CH. XII.] THE LOCUST, ETC. 173 



rU in vain. Yesterday a hussar, coming from the 

 plague committee, saw such a host of these insects 

 near Szanda, that they covered the country for a 

 mile round, and were so thick that the hussar, 

 though on horseback, was obliged to dismount and 

 halt for three hours, until the inhabitants of the 

 district, coming with all sorts of instruments, beat 

 about, and forced, with loud cries, these locusts to 

 quit the spot. 



Warsaw, 17th July. — The accounts from Podolia, 

 "Volhynia, and the Ukraine, give terrible accounts of 

 the locusts ; they cover the country for miles, and 

 are heaped up a foot high. 



Breslau, 3d August. — The locusts still infest Po- 

 dolia and the Ukraine ; but as some great hailstones 

 have fallen and crushed myriads, and the storks and 

 other birds are flocking about them, we hope that 

 this plague wi]\ be removed. The stench they 

 cause is extremely disagreeable to travellers. 



Labycrew, 25th July. — The whole of Starastey is 

 in possession of the locusts, which cover the land 

 in such clouds, one host pushed onwards by another, 

 that in some places it is impossible to pass. 



Warsaw, 15th August. -^he locusts are within 

 four miles of us. A few of the vanguard ushered 

 in the rest, but none have reached the city. They 

 divided themselves into four divisions, each of which 

 took a separate direction. A certain prince sent out 

 soldiers against them, and they fired not only with 

 small arms, but cannons, upon which they divided, 

 and thus got rid of the danger. On the other hand, 

 the storks and cranes were unluckily frightened, for 

 they consumed many of these insects daily. Trav- 

 ellers who come hither are obliged to walk knee 

 deep among them, and endure a dreadful stench; 

 and when they fly against the naked hand and face, 

 they cause burning blisters on the skin, so that the 

 sufferers become powerless through pain. 



Faikenberg, 15lh August. — I have just seen a 

 P3 



