Series 03: John Brady Nash letters, January 1914-December 1915 - Page 243
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[Page 243]
sustenance. On one farm where the young plants of the vegetable marrow or the cucumber had lately been planted & protected by rows of cain upright in the ground, young people were beating tin cans, (after the manner you have seen boys in Australia performing when a swarm of bees are flying), with the object of frightening the locusts away. The bees are supposed to be caused to alight by the noise, apparently not so the locusts.
Some one said to me the other day: "Yes Moses sent the plagues on Egypt, but he forgot to take them off so that they are with us still." One is I know.
For many weeks the newspapers have contained notices issuing from the government, warning the people that the locusts were coming, giveing instructions how to find and destroy the eggs from which they spring, and offering prizes to those who did the best work of prevention. Was much done? I know not.
31-3-15. 3-20 p.m. – Reverting to "The Arab Steed". When not at work professionally, much of my time here is devoted to the study of French. Amongst the books I am reading is a novel, it was given to me with several others, "Le Paris Mysterieux" – Issued at Paris by Arthème Fayard, Editeur du Livre Populaire. No date. –. At page 270 there is the following paragraph:–
"Les Arabes du désert racontent sous la tente l'histoire d'une cavale incomparable, qu'aucun cheval ne devança jamais à la course. Son maitre ne l'eût point échangée contre l'empire du Maroe, si le troc lui, eût été proposé. Une nuit, un vouleur pénétra dans sa tente, coupa la longe du belle animal, s'élança sur sa croupe et s'enfuit avec lui. L'Arabe s'éveilla au bruit du galop de sa cavale que le voleur emmenait. Il comprit que de courir après le ravisseur serait peine perdue, car la noble bête était plus rapide que le vente du désert; mais il se mit néanmoins en route, suivant sa