LOCUST. 169 



also come within twenty leagues of that city, 

 and that one column of them had been seen 

 there, which was about half an hour's jour- 

 ney in breadth ; but of such a length, that 

 after three hours, though they seemed to fly 

 fast, one could not see the end of the 

 column. 



We have before observed, that the Lo- 

 custs which fell in several parts of England, 

 and in particular in the neighbourhood of 

 the metropolis in the year 1748, were evi- 

 dently some straggling detachments from 

 the vast flights which in that year visited 

 many of the inland parts of the European 

 continent. 



The ravages of Locusts in various parts 

 of the world, at different periods, are re- 

 corded by numerous authors, and a sum- 

 mary account of their principal devastations 

 may be found in the works of Aldrovandus. 

 Of these a few shall be selected as examples. 

 Thus, in the year 593 of the Christian era, 

 after a great drought, these animals appeared 

 in such vast legions, as to cause a famine in 

 many countries. In 677, Syria and Meso- 

 potamia were over-run by them. In 852, 

 a 



