THE KNTOMOLOGIST. 201 



of the beams of that bright planet. Where they lighted, 

 either upon trees or standing corn, there was nothing expected 

 but ruin, destruction, and barrenness ; for the corn they 

 devoured, the fruits of trees they ate and consumed, and 

 hung so thick upon the branches that with their weight they 

 tore them from the body. The highways were so covered 

 with them that they startled the travelling mules with their 

 fluttering about their heads and feet. My eyes were often 

 struck with their wings as I rode along; and much ado I had 

 to see my way, — what with a montero wherewith I was fain 

 to cover my face, what with the flight of them which 

 were still before my eyes. The farmers towards the south 

 sea-coast cried out, for that their indigo, which was then in 

 grass, was like to be eaten up; from the Itigenios of sugar 

 the like moan was made, that the young and tender sugar- 

 canes would be destroyed ; but, above all, grievous was the 

 cry of the husbandmen of the valley where I lived, who feared 

 that their corn would in one night be swallowed up by that 

 devouring legion. The care of the magistrates was that the 

 towns of Indians should all go out into the fields with 

 trumpets, and what other instruments they had, to n:iake a 

 noise and to affright them from those places which are most 

 considerable and profitable to the commonwealth ; and 

 strange it was to see how the loud noise of the Indians 

 and soimding of the trumpets defended some fields from the 

 fear and danger of them. Where they lighted in the moun- 

 tains and highways, there they left behind them their young 

 ones, which were found creeping upon the ground, ready to 

 threaten such a second year's plague if not prevented; 

 wherefore all the towns were called — with spades, mattocks, 

 and shovels — to dig long trenches, and therein to bury all the 

 young ones. Thus, with much trouble to the poor Indians 

 and their great pains (yet after much hurt and loss in many 

 places), was that flying pestilence chased away out of the 

 country to the South Sea, where it was thought to be 

 consumed by the ocean, and to have found a grave in the 

 waters, whilst the young ones found it in the land. Yet they 

 were not all so buried, but that shortly some appeared, 

 which, being not so many in number as before, were, with 

 the former diligence, soon overcome." 



A century later locusts are recorded as laying waste all the 



•2d 



