BEES. 75 



a light wooden house, such as are usual in 

 that country. Once a stranger called upon 

 him, who had no sooner entered the house 

 than he immediately ran out again, as if dis- 

 tracted, and plunged into a neighbouring 

 stream. The man had a multitude of Bees 

 upon his head, which w^ere stinging him. 

 Stedman''s negro went to his assistance, and 

 extricated him. Stedman wondered both at 

 his having had this swarm of Bees in his 

 house without knowing it, and also that they 

 had conducted themselves so peaceably to- 

 wards him. The negro gave him the follow- 

 ing explanation of the matter, according to 

 his own ideas. He told him they would never 

 do him any injury, because they knew that 

 they were upon his premises; and in fact 

 they never made any attempt to attack him, 

 even though he ventured to shake their nest. 

 The negro told him also that there was in 

 that country an old decayed tree, in which 

 Bees and birds lived in perfect harmony to- 

 gether. If a strange bird came and wanted 

 to catch Bees, the birds that dwelt in the 

 tree immediately di'ove them away ; and the 

 Bees in like manner would suffer no strange 



