98 , STATISTICS OF MINNESOTA. 



military fashion, consumed the whole territory in which they 

 made their daily or nightly halts. These being of unusual magni- 

 tude, were destitute of wings at first, afterwards, as their wings 

 grew they flew about at will and stripped even the trees of — what 

 can I say — of leaves, blossoms, and even of bark. Afterwards 

 wandering through Germany, they made their way even to the 

 territory of Milan, and when that had been consumed, returned to 

 Poland and Silesia. Finally, in the month of November, (for they 

 lived as long as that,) stupiiied apparently by the cold, they pro- 

 duced a huge stench, and had they not served as food for hogs and 

 wild swine, they would have afflicted the Germans as well as the 

 Italians, with a most severe pestilence, no less than with famine. 

 In the year 154:3, the locusts inflicted very great loss on the pro- 

 vinces of Misnia and Marchia, at which date they were so thick 

 in the Lucanian territory that they crowded together to the depth 

 of more than a cubit— Jacobus Eckcelius. Every one knows how 

 much damage swarms of locusts inflicted in the fields of Arelate 

 (Aries.) Likewise while writing this, we learned that the people 

 of Spain were afflicted with a great number of locusts brought 

 from Africa. They flew through the air like military bands, and 

 made tin; atmosphere dense. But the people, at the sight of them, 

 ring bells, fire cannons, frighten with trumpets, make noises with 

 brass kettles, throw sand in the air, in short, try all means by 

 which they might be driven away. But the result did not corres- 

 pond to their wish ; and at last giving over their useless labor, they 

 perish everywhere from the famine and putrefaction — as we have 

 been informed by sailors and pilots who barely escaped that ca- 

 lamity. Eutropius in his fourth book makes mention of very big 

 locusts which had been seen not far from the territory of the 

 Romans, to the greatest wonder and stupefaction of beholders, and 

 so formidable to the inhabitants and so voracious, that they shud- 

 dered at the very sight of them. Hence Ave ought to infer that 

 these little animals occupy not the least place among the powers 

 and armies of God, and that they have been sent forth when He 

 would punish the sins of men, or avenge contempt for His law. 



It will be noticed in this extract what is commonly observable 

 elsewhere, that the origin of the Spanish and Italian locust is uni- 

 formly ascribed to Africa; and the years of their grand movements 

 are generally those of greater or less oppressive drouth. We dis- 

 cover, also, that there is no part of this garden of the world, Italy, 

 but has at some time or other been afflicted with locusts, from 

 Lucania, a province in the extreme south, to the city of Trent, on 

 the Adige, up among the Alp-mountains, on the north. 



