124 LOCUSTIDiE — LOCUSTS. 



which are said to ascend upon an angel's opening the pit of 

 the aljyss.' 



The Korannas and Bushmen of. the Cape save the Locusts 

 in hir^e quantities, and grind them between two stones into 

 a ixind of a meal, whicli they mix with fat and grease, and 

 bake in cakes. Upon this fare, says Mr. Fleming, they live 

 for months together, and chatter with the greatest joy as 

 soon as the Locusts are seen approaching.^ 



Locusts in Madagascar are greatly esteemed by the na- 

 tives as food.^ 



The account of the missionary Moffat differs somewhat 

 from and is much more complete than Mr. Fleming's and 

 Dr. Sparrman's. He says the natives of S. Africa embrace 

 every opportunity of gathering Locusts, which can be done 

 during the night. Whenever the cloud alights at a place 

 not very distant from a town, the inhabitants turn out with 

 sacks, and often with pack-oxen, gather loads, and return 

 next day with millions. The Locusts are then prepared for 

 eating by simple boiling, or rather steaming, as they are put 

 into a large pot with a little w^ater, and covered closely up; 

 after boiling for a short time, they are taken out and spread 

 on mats in the sun to dry, when they are winnowed, some- 

 thing like corn, to clear them of their legs and wings; and, 

 when perfectly dry, are put into sacks, or laid upon the 

 house floor in a heap. The natives eat them whole, adding 

 a little salt when they can obtain it, or pound them in a 

 wooden mortar; and, when they have reduced them to 

 something like meal, they mix them with a little water and 

 make a cold stir-about. 



When Locusts abound, the natives become quite fat, and 

 would even reward any old lady who would say that she 

 had coaxed them to alight within reach of the inhabitants. 



Mr. Mofi'at thinks the Locust not bad food, and, when 

 w^ell fed, almost as good as shrimps.'^ 



The plan of gathering Locusts by night is occasionally 

 attended with danger. " It has happened that in gathering 

 them people have been bitten by venomous reptiles. On 

 one occasion a woman had been traveling for several miles 



1 Revel, ix. 2, 3. 



2 Fleming's Kaffraria, p. 80. 



3 Ilolman's Travels, p. 487. 

 * Miss. Lab., p. 448-9. 



