952 
will find it out before the following 
morning, and its destruction follows 
very soon of Course. In consequence 
of this disposition, the woods never 
remain long encumbered with the 
fallen trunks of trees or their 
branches ; and thus it is, as I have 
before observed, the total destruction 
of deserted towns is so effectually 
completed, that in two or three 
years a thick wood fills the space 5 
and; unless iron-wood posts have 
been made use of, not the least 
vestige of an house is to be disco- 
vered, 
The first object of admiration 
which strikes one upon opening their 
hills, is the behaviour of the soldiers: 
If you make a breach in aslight part 
of the building, and do it quickly 
with a strong hoe or pick-axe,in the 
space of a few seconds a soldier will 
run out, and walk ebout the breach, 
as if to see whether the enemy is 
gone, or to examine what is the 
cause of the attack. He will some- 
times go again, as if to give the 
alarm; but most frequently in a 
short time is followed by two or 
three others, who run as fast as they 
can, straggling after one another, 
and are soon followed by a large 
body, who rush out as fast as the 
breach will permit them, and so 
they proceed, the number increasing, 
as long as any one cuntinues bat- 
tering their building. It is not easy 
to describe the rage and fury they 
shew. In their hurry sthey fre- 
quently miss their hold, and tumble 
down the sides of the hill, but re- 
cover themselves as quickly as pos» 
sible ; and, being blind, bite every 
thing they run against, and thus 
make a crackling noise, while some 
of them beat repeatedly with their 
forceps upon the building, and make 
a small yibrating noise, something 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
shriller and quicker than the ticking 
of a watch: I could distinguish this 
noise at three or four feet distant, 
and it continued for a minute ata 
time, with short intervals, While 
the attack proceeds they are in the 
most violent bustle and agitation. 
If they get hold of any one, they 
will in an instant let out blood, 
enough to weigh against their whole 
body ; and if itis the leg they wound, 
you will see the stain upon the 
stocking extend an inch in width. 
They make their hooked - jaws 
meet at the first stroke, and never 
quit their hoid, but suffer themselves 
to be pulled away leg by leg, and 
piece after piece, without the least 
attempt to escape. On the other 
hand, keep out of their way, and 
give them no interruption, and they 
will in less than half an hour retire 
into the nest, as if they supposed 
the wonderful monster that- da- 
maged their castle to be gone 
beyond their reach. Before they 
are all got in, you will see the la- 
bourers in motion, and hastening in 
various directions towards the breach; 
every one with a burden of mortar - 
in his mouth, ready tempered. This 
they stick upon the breach as fast as 
they come up, and do it with so 
much dispatch and facility, that al- 
though there are thousands, and I 
may say millions of them, they 
never stop or embarrass one another, 
and you are most agreeably deceived 
when, after an apparent scene of 
hurry and confusion, a regular wall 
arises, gradually filling up the 
chasm. 
While they are thus employed, 
almost all the soldiers are retired 
quite out of sight, except here and 
there one, who saunters about among 
six hundred or @ thousand of the 
labourers; but never touches the 
mortars 
