386 EXCURSIONS BEYOND EGA. Chap. VI. 



being the head-quarters of mosquitoes, and it fully 

 deserves the title. They are more annoying in the 

 houses by day than by night, for they swarm in the dark 

 and damp rooms, keeping, in the daytime, near the floor, 

 and settling by half-dozens together, on the legs. At 

 night the calico tent is a sufficient protection ; but 

 this is obliged to be folded every morning, and in 

 letting it down before sunset, great care is required to 

 prevent any of the tormentors from stealing in beneath, 

 their insatiable thirst for blood, and pungent sting, 

 making these enough to spoil all comfort. In the forest 

 the plague is much worse ; but the forest-mosquito be- 

 longs to a different species from that of the town, being 

 much larger, and having transparent wings ; it is a little 

 cloud that one carries about one's person every step on 

 a woodland ramble, and their hum is so loud that it 

 prevents one hearing well the notes of birds. The 

 town-mosquito has opaque speckled wings, a less severe 

 sting, and a silent way of going to work ; the inhabi- 

 tants ought to be thankful the big, noisy fellows never 

 come out of the forest. ■ In compensation for the abun- 

 dance of mosquitoes, Fonte Boa has no piums ; there 

 was, therefore, some comfort outside one's door in the 

 daytime ; the comfort, however, was lessened by there 

 being scarcely any room in front of the house to sit 

 down or walk about, for, on our side of the square, the 

 causeway was only two feet broad, and to step over the 

 boundary, formed by a line of slippery stems of palms, 

 was to sink up to the knees in a sticky swamp. 



Notwithstanding damp and mosquitoes, I had capital 

 health, and enjoyed myself much at Fonte Boa; swampy 



