y caused a panic.
This was a new terror. We had suffered most of the plagues of Egypt--which
did not include mosquitoes; those of Palestine were beginning their
operations already.

Even the tiniest creature on the earth has its function in life, we are
told, but for the life of me I cannot see the use of the mosquito, which
may sound uncharitable. But when, after lying down for a rest that you know
is well-earned, thousands of these pernicious insects fasten on you and
bite you and raise large lumps on your person, hatred, malice, and all
uncharitableness are the only emotions you are capable of feeling. And
these mosquitoes from the lagoon were of surpassing virulence. Presumably
they had been living on a diet of lean and hungry Bedouin for many months
and had found no sustenance therein; for they made of our well-nourished
bodies a feast of Lucullus and gorged themselves to repletion. A doctor
once told me that the female mosquito hums but does not bite, while the
male bites but does not hum. That is just the kind of immoral trick a
mosquito would practise. While the female is creating a diversion--and a
disturbance--by her vocal camouflage, the other criminal silently puts in
his deadly work. Having stuffed himself till he can hold no more he goes
into a corner, well out of reach, and pretends to weep over his evil deeds.
This is merely Pecksniffian; indigestion is his trouble.

Another neighbour we had was the frog--several thousands of him--and his
voice was out of all proportion to his size. Just after sundown the Chief
Frog made a loud noise like stones rattling in a can, apparently calling
the tribe to attention. For a moment there was deep silence. Then the
chorus burst forth, rose to a hideous crescendo and descended to a
monotonous rattle; and this was the motif of the song. Frogs must have very
powerful lungs, for these never seemed to draw breath; theirs was, as it
were, a continuous performance and a most infernal din withal. We became
accustomed if not reconciled to the nightly chorus during the three weeks
we camped by the lagoon, and after that first night the row failed to
disturb our rest, which is more than can be said of the mosquitoes.
Familiarity with them breeds anything but contempt; it is generally
malaria.

Although the mounted divisions had been obliged to retreat the battle was
by no means over. During the night of the 26th Turkish reinforcements, now
unopposed, poured into Gaza from all