266 



SWARMS OF LOCUSTS. 



the whole day^ being assisted to mount and dis- 

 mount, and was fortunate enough to have very 

 good horses. This day we passed through mil- 

 lions of locusts ; the earth being literally alive with 

 them ; as we rode along^ the horses killed thou- 

 sands^ and the smell arising from them was abo- 

 minable. Blessed England ! that is clear of this 

 pestilence. The ground was black for miles where 

 they had gone over. We slept at Santa Barbara, 

 performing one hundred and eleven miles this day. 



Tuesday^ Jan. \st, 1828. Having horses 

 ready^ we took our mate before daybreak, and 

 were off at daylight, wishing to perform a long 

 journey of a hundred and twenty miles. Our 

 object was to push to Esquena de Medrano, an 

 excellent post, and there take a good rest. The 

 day was oppressively hot, and we passed through 

 swarms of mosquitos that were very trouble- 

 some ; but accomplished our object, arriving 

 at the post at three o'clock, a distance of eighty- 

 four miles. Here we refreshed ourselves, and 

 remained till six. The master of the post gave 



