556 



HFSTORY OF INSECTS. 



flight can shield the wretched inhabitants 

 from their attacks; though millions are des- 

 troyed, still millions more succeed, and pro- 

 duce unceasing torment. The native Indians, 

 who anoint their bodies with oil, and who 

 have from their infancy been used to their de- 

 predations, find them much less inconvenient 

 than those who are newly arrived from Europe; 

 they sleep in their cottages covered all over 



with thousands of the gnat kind upon their 

 bodies, and yet do not seem to have their 

 slumbers disturbed by their cruel devourers. 

 If a candle happens to be lighted in one of 

 those places, a cloud of insects at once light 

 upon the flame and extinguish it : they are 

 therefore obliged to keep their candles in glass 

 lanterns ; a miserable expedient to prevent an 

 unceasing calamity! 



