When travelling across the prairies, we may, at times, when gazing
upwards at the sky, see what appears to be a vast cloud approaching from
the horizon. It is produced by infinite swarms of locusts, or
grasshoppers, as they are called in North America. [From Professor
Hind's "Red River Exploring Expedition."] About noon they appear to
lessen perceptibly the rays of the sun. The whole horizon wears an
unearthly ashy hue, from the light reflected by their transparent wings.
The air is filled as with flakes of snow. The clouds of insects,
forming a dense body, cast a glimmering, silvery light from altitudes
varying from 500 to 1000 feet. The sky, as near the sun as its light
will allow us to gaze, appears continually changing colour, from blue to
silvery white, ashy grey, and lead colour, according to the numbers in
the passing clouds of insects. Opposite to the sun, the prevailing hue
is a silvery white, perceptibly flashing. Now, towards the south, east,
and west, it appears to radiate a soft, grey-tinted light, with a
quivering motion. Should the day be calm, the hum produced by the
vibration of so many millions of wings is quite indescribable, and more
resembles the noise popularly termed "a ringing in one's ears," than any
other sound. The aspect of the heavens during the period that the
greatest flight is passing by is singularly striking. It produces a
feeling of uneasiness, amazement, and awe, as if some terrible
unforeseen calamity were about to happen.
When the grasshoppers are resting from their long journeys, or in the
morning when feeding on the grass and leaves, they rise in clouds as we
march through the prairie; and when the wind blows, they become very
troublesome, flying with force against our faces, and into the nostrils
and eyes of the horses, filling every crevice in the carts.
Fortunately, comparatively few take flight on a windy day, otherwise it
would be impossible to make headway against such an infinite host in
rapid motion before the wind, although composed individually of such
insignificant members. The portions of the prairie visited by the
grasshoppers wear a curious appearance. The grass may be seen cut
uniformly to one inch from the ground. The whole surface is covered
with the small, round, green exuviae of these destructive invaders.
They frequently fly at an enormous height above the earth. An engineer
engaged in the Nebraska survey, mentions that, when standing on the
summit of a peak of the Rocky Mountains, 8500 feet above the level of
the plains in Nebraska--being 14,500 feet above that of the sea--he saw
them above his head as far as their size rendered them visible.
Grasshoppers are excellent prognosticators of a coming storm. They may
be seen at times descending perpendicularly from a great height, like
hail--a sign of approaching rain. At this time the air, as far as the
eye can penetrate, appears filled with them. Early in the morning they
commence their flight, and continue it till late in the afternoon, when
they settle round the traveller in countless multitudes, clinging to the
leaves of the grass, as if resting after their journey.
They are fearful depredators. Not only do they destroy the husbandman's
crops, but so voracious are they, that they will attack every article
left even for a few minutes on the ground--saddle-girths, leather bags,
and clothing of all descriptions, are devoured without distinction. Mr
Hind says that ten minutes sufficed for them to destroy three pairs of
woollen trousers which had been carelessly thrown on the grass. The
only way to protect property from these depredators is to pile it on a
waggon or cart out of reach.
Two distinct broods of grasshoppers appear--one with wings not yet
formed, which has been hatched on the spot; the other, full-grown
invaders from the southern latitudes. They sometimes make their
appearance at Red River. However, Mr Ross, for long a resident in that
region, states that from 1819, when the colonists' scanty crops were
destroyed by grasshoppers, to 1856, they had not returned in sufficient
numbers to commit any material damage. Their ravages, indeed, are not
to be compared to those committed by the red locust in Egypt; and yet
Egypt has ever been one of the chief granaries of the world.