thought my medicine-making might possibly have
been a joke ; so they came to me in a most serious
manner, and said that they wished me to make other
medicine. I told them that nothing’ I could do would
check the locusts; that they were doubtless sent from
Heaven as a punishment for thé prices extorted by
the Daitcho from me in exchange for the goods they
sold; and I added that I could in no way interfere
with such punishment.
Finding me obdurate, the natives set to work to
do what they could in order to check the swarming
of the locusts. They seized branches of trees in their
hands, and set about the plantations, furiously beating
the air and waving the branches. An hour of
this work fatigued them to such a degree that almost
all of them lay down upon the ground, and gave vent
to loud lamentations and curses ; but the locusts
moved not. Occasionally five or six of the more
determined would rise up after a short period of
rest, and return to the branch-swinging; then, having
again exhausted themselves, they would sink
back again into a lethargic condition. These spasmodic
and abortive efforts they continued for several
hours. Finally several of them came to me, and in
the most heart-broken manner said that it rested
with me alone whether or not they should starve to
death the following year. To this they added, that
they had done the best they could for me in all
ways, and they knew that, if I would, I could stop
this raid of locusts. From my knowledge of the
natives I was certain that if I did not appear to
make an attempt to stop the locusts, such action
would be construed as evidence of unfriendliness to
the Daitcho; and this was the last opinion I wished
them to entertain. In order to humour them, I told
them to wait; and when my men had finished eating
the sheep, I took the tallest and blackest one,
dressed him in a long, white robe, placed a large
sun-umbrella in his hand, took him to the opening
in front of my camp (where at that time the locusts
were falling like hail-stones), and ordered him there
to dance and sing in the most vigorous manner, and
at the same time spin the umbrella over his head.
This seemed to satisfy the natives, and their looks
and gestures testified to the strength of their feelings
of joy and satisfaction.
Around and about danced the negro, his shouts
echoing to the heavens, and his white umbrella seeming
a halo above his head. When he exhibited signs
of fatigue, I shouted to him to increase the rapidity
of his motions; and, finally, when the sound of his
voice had become faint and hoarse, and perspiration
streamed freely from every pore, I permitted him to
cease his gyrations.
Lo, hardly had he stopped, when an event occurred
which filled me with surprise, and produced more
than astonishment in the minds not only of the
natives, but of my followers as well. For hours the
locusts had swept by us in millions, and it seemed
there was no end to them. As far as the eye could
see to the north, nothing was in view but a cloud of
these insects. However, when my unwilling dervish
had ceased his efforts, the cloud of locusts stopped, as
though at the word of command, hesitated a moment