LETTERS. 447 
the plagues of Pharoah, torment the inhabitants 
and travellers in this country to this very day. Nei- 
ther do they turn to the eaft, for I never heard that 
Mefopotamia, or the confines of the Euphrates, 
were ravaged by them. None but thofe countries 
of Afia which 1 mentioned, viz. Arabia, Palasftine, 
Syria, Carmania, and fometimes the fea coafts of 
Natolia, are infefted with them yearly, either more 
or lefs. 
I do not know whether the fame generation of 
locufts which comes from Arabia can come to 
Europe, or whether it is the lecond or third gene- 
ration. It might eafily be known, if obfervations 
were made in two different places, when they are 
at either of them ■, and perhaps that would be to 
fome purpofe, as it might furnifh means to deftroy 
them, or at leaft, lelfen their number. 
The inhabitants of Afia, as well as Europe, 
fometimes take the field againft loculfs with all 
the dreadful apparatus of war. The Bafliaw of 
Tripoli in Syria, fome years ago, railed 4000 fol- 
diers againft thefe infeds, and ordered thofe to be 
hanged who refufed to go. Thus a miferable in- 
fed, can put in motion an army of ftubborn Turks, 
whom often an Ottoman Emperor with all his 
power cannot oblige to go farther than they chufe. 
Smyrna, Sept. 13, 175N 
I Shall foon have the honour to fend you a 
number of obfervations, which I made on the 
Natural Hiftory of the Bible, on my travels in 
Palaeftine. I have been particularly follicitous to 
fearch for the great defigns which King Solomon 
executed here, efpecially thofe that contained any 
of the vegetable kingdom •, whether I could find 
1 B b 4 any 
