AXIS. 



went to the farther end of the garden, others 

 to the fifth story in quest of some corn. It 

 was a very hard journey for them, especially 

 when they came loaded with a pretty large 

 grain of corn, which must needs be a hea\y 

 burthen for an Ant, and as much as he can 

 bear. The bringing of that grain from the 

 middle of the garden to the nest took up four 

 hours; by which one may judge of the 

 strength and prodigious labour of those little 

 animals. It appears from thence, that an 

 Ant works as hard as a man, who should 

 carry a very heavy load on his shoulders almost 

 every day for the space of four leagues. It 

 is true, those insects do not take so much 

 pains upon a flat ground ; but then how 

 great is the hardship of a poor Ant, when she 

 carries a grain of corn to the second story^ 

 climbing up a wall with her head downwards, 

 and her body upwards ? None can have 

 a true notion of it, unless they see those little 

 animals at work in such a situation. The 

 frequent stops they made in the most conve- 

 nient places, are a plain indication of their 

 weariness. Some of them were strangely 

 perplexed, and could not get to their journey ""s 



