CHAPTEK VI. 



SOME QUEER AND TROUBLESOME NEIGHBORS. 



Fireflies and fire beetles — Centipedes, chigoes, and scorpions — 

 Edible grubs from the palm — Processions of ants with um- 

 brellas. 



My solitary life became so attractive that my only 

 fear was that it might be broken in upon — at any mo- 

 ment my retreat might be invaded. With this fear 

 upon me, I did nothing that would attract the atten- 

 tion of passing boats, such as keeping a bright fii*e 

 burning at night, or creating a smoke by day. The 

 little food that I needed to have cooked was prepared 

 with a very small fire, which the heat of the climate 

 rendered unnecessary for warmth. 



I had some books, but managed to read them main- 

 ly by daylight ; or if at night, I resorted to a simple 

 device. My meadow was always alive with fire bee- 

 tles, glorious great insects, which sported there in 

 myriads, and gleamed among the trees of the adjacent 

 forest as well. In size they were superior to our 

 northern fireflies, some of them being nearly two 

 inches in length. Their luminous spots were on their 

 shoulders, one on each side of the head, like lamps on 

 a carriage, and from these they flashed a mild though 



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