252 A MONSTER MULTITUDE. 



feet in terror ; and at that instant a sudden gloom, as of coming 

 twilight, overspread the sky, while a flapping as of the canvas 

 of ten thousand vessels proceeded from a winged multitude, 

 monstrous now in bulk as in number, which filled the air. 

 Attempting to escape, we nearly tumbled over not a stone, 

 but an enormous beetle (bigger than the biggest turtle ever 

 captured on the shores of the Antilles), and only regained our 

 footing to tread upon the loathsome yielding body of a cater- 

 pillar swollen to a serpent's size, and rolling its mutilated 

 length about our ankles. All around, the darkened daylight 

 presented only similar objects, half-revealed: ground, grass, 

 flower, shrub, and tree, all laden or crushed by living masses 

 through which we had, if possible, to force our way in order 

 to gain the shelter of our roof. Armed by desperation, we 

 continued to advance ; and what an advance it was ! Pierced 

 by poisoned arrows, swords, and spears, in the shape of what, 

 as stings, we once despised lacerated by forcep-jaws armed 

 with shark-like teeth bruised by violent contact with the 

 mail-clad limbs of grasshopper Goliaths and beetle Bevis's 

 deafened and bewildered by sounds most strange and threat- 

 ening, and of volume augmented in proportion to their utterer's 

 bulk we ran the gauntlet through this infernal crew, and at 

 length, when almost exhausted, reached our door. But 

 entrance was even then not easy, for our portal was barricaded 

 by thick silken ropes stretched across it in all directions. 

 Unable to break, we contrived to sever them with our pocket- 

 knife ; but (horror of horrors !) no sooner were the cords 

 divided, than rapidly descending by one of them which hung 

 loose above our head, a spider, big as a baboon, alighted on 

 our shoulders, and made her long hairy legs meet around our 

 neck. By a desperate effort we threw off our disgusting 

 burthen, and, opening the house-door, shut it with all possible 

 celerity ; but one of the spider's arms, stretched out to renew 

 her grasp, crackled like a lobster's claw as we jammed it 

 betwixt door and door-frame. As we entered our parlour a 



