320 December 1748. 



whether bugs were firft brought over by the 

 ropeans, or whether they have originally been in 

 the country. Many people looked upon them 

 as natives of this country, and as a proof of it 

 faid, that under the wings of bats the people had 

 often found bugs, which had eaten very deep in- 

 to the flefli. It was therefore believed that the 

 bats had got them in fome hollow tree, and had 

 afterwards brought them into the houfes, as they 

 commonly fix themfelves clofe to the walls, and 

 creep into the little chinks which they meet with. 

 But as I have never feen any bugs upon bats, I 

 cannot fay any thing upon that fubjed:. Perhaps 

 a loufe or a tick (Icarus) has been taken for a 

 bug. Or, if a real bug has been found upon a 

 bat's wing, it is very eafy to conceive that it fix- 

 ed on the bat, whilft the latter was fitting in the 

 chinks of a houfe flocked with European bugs. 



As the people here could not bear the incon- 

 venience of thefe vermin, anymore than we can 

 in Sweden, they endeavoured to expel them by 

 different means. I have already remarked, 

 that the beds to that purpofe were made 

 of Sajjafras wood, but that they were only 

 temporary remedies. Some perfons aflured 

 me that they had found, from their own experi- 

 ence, and by repeated trials, that no remedy was 

 more effectual towards the expulfion of bugs, than 

 the injedling of boiling water into all the cracks 

 where they are fettled, and wafhing all the wood 

 of the beds with it ; this being twice or thrice 

 repeated, the bugs are wholly deftroyed. But if 

 there are bugs in neighbouring houfes, they will 



faften 



