An Exodus of Frogs

A SIGHT was witnessed on the plains near Hay, recently, which no human eye has probably ever witnessed before, or is likely ever to see again. As a shepherd was snoozing, as was his custom, within the scanty shadow of a stunted gum-tree, his slumbers were disturbed by what he described as “like to a rushing wind whistling through a bed of reeds.” But, on looking around him, what was his surprise to behold the plain, for at least a square mile, covered with an innumerable army of frogs. On, on they came, in their hundreds and thousands, till it seemed as it the line would stretch out to the crack of doom. Had the Bishop of Natal been present, he might have supposed, with some reason too, that Providence was convincing him by ocular demonstration that the ninth plague of Egypt was historically true. It was certainly a strange sight, this exodus of frogs, and is thus accounted for: - The long and severe drought to which this part of the colony has been subjected, had completely dried up the clayey swamp which they inhabited, and the poor creatures, to save themselves from perishing, were obliged to emigrate; for, when the shepherd saw them they were en route for the Murrumbidgee, and it is worthy of remark that many of the old frogs carried piccaninny frogs upon their backs. –

Pastoral Times.