THE SOUDANESE 



149 



intending the domestic work; there will be the boy sent 

 to fetch water ; there will be women either pounding or 

 grinding corn, and there will be poultry about. Castor-oil 

 plants are usually found in the village, stretching out their 

 broad green leaves. 



One day at Hoima I came upon a group of Soudanese 

 children gambling for locusts. The gambling instinct seems 

 to be widely disseminated. The stakes were not " high " ; the 

 locusts were fresh caught. Countless millions of locusts had 

 passed over 



Hoima for ^_ 



the last few ' 



days. Octo- 

 ber seems to 

 be their 

 breeding sea- 

 son in this 

 part of Africa. 

 The male in- 

 sect has a 

 yellow head ; 

 the female is 

 generally 

 somewhat 

 larger in size, 

 and her head 

 is more of an 

 orange - red. 

 All native 

 races eat lo- 

 custs ; with many it takes, and has to take, the place of the 

 British workman's beef and mutton. In a good many villages 

 sun-dried locusts are an article of commerce. The Soudanese 

 are particularly fond of them. As soon as a swarm of locusts 

 has settled, every woman and child in the village turns out to 

 catch them. 



My men were all very busy catching locusts by the hand- 

 ful, toasting them on the fire, and eating them with evident 

 relish. My Arab servant was munching som.e when I drew 

 near. With true Arab politeness he at once invited me to 

 share in the feast. I always like to try a native dish, and I 



IN A SOUDANESE VILLAGE. 



