6g A VOYAGE TO Book I. 



then it may áo immenfe damage among the vaft quan- 

 tity of goods landed for warehoufes, and for fale in 

 the fhops. The beil, aiid indeed the only method, is, 

 to lay the bales on benches, about half a yard from 

 the ground, and to cover the feet of them with alqui- 

 trán, or naphtha, the only prefervativc againll this fpe- 

 cies of vermin ; for, with regard to vv^ood, it eats into 

 that as eaiily as into the goods, but will not come 

 near it when covered with naphtha as above. 



Neither would this precaution be fufhcient for 

 the fafety of the goods, without a method of keeping 

 them from touching the v/alls ; and then they are fuf- 

 ficiently fecured. This infcél is fo fmall, as to be 

 fcarcely viilble to the naked eye ; but of fuch aélivity, 

 as to deftroy all the goods in a vvarehoufe, where it 

 has got footing, in one night's time. Accordingly it 

 is ufual that in running the rillcs of commerce, in 

 goods configned to Carthagena, the circumflances are 

 fpecified, and in thefe are underilood to be included 

 the lofíes that may happen in that city by the come- 

 gen. This iníeél infefts neither Porto Bello, nor even 

 places nearer Carthagena, though they have fo many 

 other things in common with that city ; nor is it fo 

 much as known among them. 



What has been faid, will, I hope, be fufficient to 

 give an adequate idea of this country, without fwell- 

 ing the work with trivial obfervations, or fuch as have 

 been already publiihed by others. We ihall now 

 proceed to treat diílinétly of other equally wonderful 

 works of Omnipotence, in this country. 



CHAP. 



