188 THE MODERN HISTORY OF SILK. 



In May 1783, about thirteen hundred larvae were 

 produced from the eggs, and she was so fortunate as 

 to lose very few during the whole time of feeding, 

 and obtained from themtwelve hundred and seventy- 

 five cones, which produced nearly four ounces of fine 

 silk. All the eggs laid by the moths after their 

 transformation were carefully preserved, aud, on the 

 12th of the succeeding May, she placed them in the 

 sun, when they hatched in incredible numbers ; 

 and although she did not count every caterpillar, she 

 supposed them to amount to more than ten thousand. 

 She fed them with lettuce leaves for the first week, 

 and then from three or four mulberry-trees, which 

 grew in some adjacent gardens. However, as they 

 grew larger, they became so extremely voracious, 

 that Miss Rhodes felt the utmost apprehensions lest 

 a famine should ensue. Her solicitude for the ani- 

 mals increased her exertions, and she sought after 

 mulben-y-trees with devoted anxiety, and the acqui- 

 sition of a new one gave her great satisfaction. By 

 perseverance her resources were augmented to the 

 number of twelve trees, although some of them were 

 at the distance of twelve miles from her residence. 

 Such was the quantity these creatures devoured, 

 that a bushel of leaves, crammed in as close as 

 possible, would frequently be insufficient to support 

 them one day. 



Miss Rhodes had high anticipations of success, 

 but a dreadful night of thunder in the latter end of 



