230 
INSECTS. 
The ufe of Locusts for Food in 
Arabia. 
TOURING my ftay in Egypt, I ufed every means 
^ t0 l ear n whether Locufts are to this day eaten, 
either in this or the neighbouring countries. I was 
the more folicitous to be informed of this, asl thought 
the anfwer would determine what St. John lived on 
in the defart. Whether the of this holy man 
are I-ocufts, according to the literal fenfe of the 
word in all Grecian authors, or whether them 
duafa s are the fruit of fome tree, or a kind of birds- 
The lirft has been the opinion of all interpreters 
of the feriptures, who attended only to the content 5 
of them; others, who have tranflated the NeW' 
Teftament, were for fliewing their refined genius, 
afferting, that St.John never eat Locufts, as they ar 
an unnatural food, never ufed by any body, and no 
adapted for fuftenance. This is the ftrongeft ; j r ' 
gument, by which they endeavoured to deftroy 
true meaning; and this feigned unnaturalnefs, h a ' 
as I imagine, occafioned an alteration, where the 
needs none, and induced fome to crack their bran 
in finding for St. John other food, than whathe real ^ 
eat, during the rigorous courfe of life which he ^ 
in the defart. If it can be demonftrated, that L £ 
cults are to this day eaten in the neighbourhood 
the place where St. John dwelt, the impoftibihty ^ 
unnaturalnefs of this diet can no longer be after 
and the weakeft perfon will form the foll° 
conclufion ; If 
