BOOK III. CHAP. VIIL 883 



niis, but far more troublefome. The Negroes, who come hither 

 from Africa, are feldom free from it ; and it feems uncertain, whe- 

 ther it is indigenous to this ifland, or propagated from importation. 

 It lodges under the Ikin of the feet, and forms a little, round bag, 

 of the lize of pearl-barley, in which its eggs are depofited. All 

 this, however, is not performed without creating au intolerable 

 itching in the part, which gives notice of the attempt to form a 

 lodgement: in which cafe, it is thought advifeable to extrad it, with 

 the bag, by carefully managing the point of a needle, to clear 

 it without breaking the membrane ; and the cavity is imme- 

 diately filled up with tobacco-afhcs, which allay the itching, and 

 prevent a fore. Uncleanly perfons, or thofe who feldom wafh 

 their feet, are moft frequently fubjed to this annoyance. They 

 may be deftroyed, without extrailing, by the application of a 

 eataplafm, made with Caftile foap and train-oil mixed; fometimes 

 a little aloes is added : a poultice, of pounded calVada-root, anfwers 

 the like purpofe. But it is better to guard againft their attacks by 

 cleanlinefs, and forbearing to walk often in places flrewed with 

 quick lime, or in ginger and potatoe grounds; which are their 

 cuftomary haunts. 



328. MUSKEETO. 



Thefe gnats, of which two or three fpecies are reckoned in this 

 ifland, furpafs all the other infedls here in the annoyance they give 

 to the inhabitants of the lowlands. Their ufual time of fallying 

 forth, to attack mankind, is about fun-fet ; and, from this time till 

 the morning, they pofl'efs the greateft adivity. During the former 

 part of the day, they are commonly torpid, and forced, by the 

 violence of the breeze, to keep in their hiding-places. Yet they 

 do not make their aflaults without giving notice, with a kind of 

 fhrillhu^m, in the pitch-pipe tone ^; fb that, when a confiderable 

 number of them areaflembled in a room, they perform a full con- 

 cert ; which affords but a melancholy prefage of the approaching 

 onfet, and may be called their war-fong. When they are ready to 

 begin the attack, they defcend gradually with a feeming caution ; 

 and, after wheeling in circles for fome time, like birds of prey, 

 dart down at once with a fudden fwoop upon any naked part of tjie 



5 U 2 , bod/ 



