LETTERS. 445 
or river, they find their attempt fucceed no better 
than the lark, of which 1 believe I have given you 
an inftance before, which I obferved on the Spanifh 
coaft, where I fawhow miferably this bird peri filed, 
when it intended to come on board us. I faw 
the fame happen to the locufts, and for one that 
came on board, 100 were certainly drowned, 
though we were but a piflolfhot from the fhore. 
But better proofs of this are yearly feen at Smyrna, 
when they attempt to fiy acrofs the fea, after they 
over-run the country near it. We obferve in 
the months of May and June, a number of thefe 
infects coming from the fouth, directing their 
courfe to the northern fhore •, they darken the 
fky like a thick cloud, but fcarcely have they quit- 
ted the fhore, before they, who a moment before 
ravaged and ruined the country, cover the furface 
of the fea with their dead bodies, which occafions a 
great nuifance to the Franks, who have their bal- 
conies near the harbour, on account of the flench 
which proceeds from fuch a number of dead infeds, 
as they are by the winds driven clofe to the very 
boufes. By what inftind do thefe creatures under- 
take this dangerous flight ? Is it not the wife in- 
flitution of the Creator, to deflroy a dreadful 
plague to the country ? Has the like deftrudion to 
the 0 locufts been obferved during their flight to 
Europe for feveral years paft ? Could they not by 
fright, or fome other method, be turned from their 
dreadful courfe, to fleer for fome river, and by that 
means be obliged to deftroy themfelves, as they 
cannot be overcome by any other means? 
(2.) But if locufts cannot fly over a fea of any 
extent, how could they come from the continent 
to Cyprus, which is entirely deftroyed by Turks 
and locufts ? Could they not at lead come 
B b 3 in 
