Page 51 - Neglected Arabia Vol 2

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Nuauicriiu ahahia

die, We saw many clusters uf them grouped about ones which had fallen
by the wayside.
Finally, they reached the city wall. What would they do? .For here
they encountered the first real obstacle in their onward inarch, the wall
being about ten feet high. But it made no difference for they crawled up
over it and down the other side. The wall appeared/as if covered with
moss and, from a little distance, looked like green spreading vines. Only
those living in a white, sandy place like Kuwait can appreciate such a sight.
The young ones are colored green and yellow and the older ones tan and
brown.
They were now in the city and it only took a short time to show why
they were to be dreaded. They stripped the few trees and shrubs of the
city. The Arabs put strips of tin about the trunks of the trees as the young
locusts could not climb over a perfectly smooth surface such as tin. Others
beat on pans and boxes and made curious sounds with their mouths or
beat on the ground with sticks, hoping in this way to keep the pests out of
the courtyards and houses. A few pasted smooth, glossy paper midway
up on the outer side of the walls of the yards as shown in the picture. One !•
of the patients in the hospital put tin around the legs of his bed to prevent 1
their crawling up to him. But there were so many that most methods
failed. Those who had screens or screen doors managed to keep them out
of the houses fairly well. If they had entered the houses, they would
have eaten practically everything they came across, even curtains, rugs and
dothing. /
The locust changes his coat fur a now one several times during the
llrit two or three weeks of Ills life and occasionally one was seen shedding
his old coat for a bright, new one. At last they were able to fly and then
they left us when the wind was favorable. Everyone was agreed that they
did not care to see such visitors again, although, to us who had never seen
them before, it was a sight and experience never to be forgotten.
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the army attacks the barricade of smooth paper

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