50 MILES OF LOCUSTS

Hokitika Guardian, 1 September 1921, Page 1

50 MILES OF LOCUSTS

(iiy !.' <>ji:l nl I- *. -i !i in us. a >oiiih A i'i i<;« n ■ Tl.oh‘ limn rereiilly :i{>|i<■:!rr>>{ in the | enhii'i. reports nl' l.frito snarms «ii‘ j l< •11s 1 s iluiny; I'liiinunin <1: 1111:1 •.<< ■in the veilLlt id I'l'nlire mid around SnraL'.usMi, ill S|nl 111. Thine life lint niil! i v people ill thiv e.iiinlry who kilim whip n l.irtl~t Mini m j i. like, I When I sl:ii'!‘,'d immine: in Soiilli i \liii n in I lid:! luen.vis viiejit uni' the e.nintry ini' three silt res-ive lent''. j li is n eienr, lirielii. .suitn.v <l:ty ill the' iliiiiiLT l*'ree Suite. ( I ruins have tailed tile | nist it re i- knee-deep, el'eeii' mnl lii;<t■ i ia;11 : thousands el neies i.t uhent mid mils nji In line's waist i"itetid mi nil sides. To ihe mini ml Ihe hind the mini win i hits toiled lof this ere j i it Means iniieli Hundreds nl pounds -posdhly n trip to lintain lor a holiday. And then, over the hill' in the distil nee hills one hundred miles nv. aylijipems a lolly:, thin. mint line, nut i unlike yell,Ml 'smoke. That is u lot list | swarm as you lirsl see it. I An hullr ones by. The mint yellow t loud lias spread higher into tile sky; the hills have heroine blurred ; the eleud little darker, : Thu orilii irony ui ii all :a ilia; yon , ;.II si-e iliis disaster aiipiOiu hilly; lot |ioi*rs and vel yon can do iiotliinat to I a void it. j The swarm »«'i ops past overhead , millions and liilliomi til’ millions ol j I,,,.usis 111 past ; Millions and billions ui | timtii settle on every y.iven blade. I The swarm may he .VI miles in lenytli I in dept Ii it is stlliieient to hide ! In' , The noi.-e nl the snisiiiou o in.".' 1 -nil, ids like an el," trie power slat inn at | noill . veil si|tiaiv ineli ,I' nrniiuil is eui.e red with Ineli sis. Kveiy hlade nl wheat and era" is,uvered nillt lorm-iv, and vail kilim that this is happeimm, In I.verv till I'll hlade in a hundred more. In lit teen niinnies there is not a sim.de l.lade ot iiiie.u nr y:iass lelt . , And liutti at tel linin' the h.eiists liy nn | and on mill set ile in millions "I millions. And alnay s the innes-ant ' u Inr''" ol' the winy:' and the raeinj;, pateliy shade,us ol' the Miami moviny, aern" the earth. So me t in.es this lasted lor t n tlnee dai s '.i it lioill a ht i'ii k . \ml | In Ve y.one to lied at niyhi and II I, ,1 to read, and seen only I vis ; Hied to sleep end seel iy In, lists. j,,.,. usts. locusts, lorusls lor over It.vii»<C a« ro>s ilu*- ivlina nl tin* i*y»*. It is a.n'appjiliiiio* »• prr ioiuv lor m;.m to til i • lint ill;* Soiltli Atriraii ( .n\crunkm'. |,, v vorU lo onti*i infnalo tin* p»*st. Spray pumps, mseiialr ol inla, ami tivjioli* wen* oivon toil in t-wry larmor. ! > .)slrar.U- \v«mv isMlotl ami reports til swasins \wiv M‘iu In lli‘* i'oatl oiliot*, wlii'jt* on :« laroo map i*\vry >warm m t!a* i-nuuirv wa> Imalf.l ami markc‘l down lor dost nu t ion. The yeutie loi'il'ts in t heir lioppiny, stay,,' al e I he sweetened. poisoned mass on every larm m the loiuit i y and died. And 'Hire I'.MM «■■ li:ivi' l)i-nU \\ illmut lorlist s ! I, i> ..ii.' ..I' t!:-* - ivnlfsi a« liiav« , mt , ui s Ol a, IV (mi \'e | 11 11 I. ' 111 ill the 1,0.1 d.