The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 06: Madiera, the Canaries, Ancient Asia, Africa, etc.Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 06: Madiera, the Canaries, Ancient Asia, Africa, etc.
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
The Acridophagie (a people borderyng vpon the deaserte) are somewhat lower
of stature then the residewe, leane, and exceding blacke. In the Spring
time, the Weste, and Southwest winde, bringeth vnto them out of the
Deaserte, an houge nombre of Locustes, whiche are of verie greate bodie,
and of wynge very filthily coloured. The Ethiopians well accustomed with
their maner of flighte and trade, gather together into a long slade
betwixte two hilles, a great deale of rubbeshe and mullocke, from places
nighe hande, apte for fingry, and the grasse and all wiedes there aboute.
And laieng it ready in heapes aforehande, a long the slade, when thei see
the Locustes come with the winde like cloudes in the aire, thei set al on
fire, and so swelte theim in the passing ouer, that thei bee skante full
out of the slade, but thei fall to the grounde in suche plentie, that thei
be to all the Acridophagi, a sufficient victuallyng. For thei poudre them
with salte (wherof the countrie hath plentie) and so continually from yere
to yere, liue by none other foode. For thei neither haue any kinde of
catteille, ne fisshe can haue, beyng so farre fro the sea. And this maner
of meate siemeth to theim, verie pleasaunte and fine.
Of bodie thei are very lighte, swifte of foote, and shorte liued as not
passyng xl. yeres, he that liueth longest. Their ende is not more
incredible, then it is miserable. For when their drawe into age, their
briedeth a kinde of winghed lice in their bodies, of diuers colours, and
very horrible, and filthie to beholde: whiche firste eate out their
bealies, and then their brest, and so the whole body in a litle space. He
that hath this disease, first as thoughe he had on hym some tickelyng
ytche, all to beskratcheth his bodie with suche pleasure, as is also
mingled with some smart, And within a litle while aftre, when the lyce
beginne to craule, and the bodie beginneth to mattre, enraged with the
bittrenes and grief of the disease, he teareth and mangleth his whole bodie
with his nailes, putting furth in the mean while many a greuous grone. Then
gussheth there out of hym, suche aboundaunce of lice, that a manne would
thinke they had bene barelled in his body: and that the barel now broken,
the swarme plomped out. And by this meanes, whether throughe the enfectious
aire, or the corrupcion of their fieding, thei make a miserable ende.
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