136 TERMITID^ — WHITE- AXIS. 



ists of Berlin, tells us, that to catch the Termites before 

 their emigration, the natives of the East Indies make two 

 holes in the nest, one to windward, and the other to leeward ; 

 at the latter aperture, they place a pot, rubbed with aromatic 

 herbs. On the windward side they make a fire, the smoke 

 of which drives these insects into the pots. By this method 

 thev take a great quantity, of which they make, with flour, 

 a variety of pastry, which they sell to the poorer people. 

 This author adds, that in the season in which this aliment 

 is abundant, the abuse of it produces an epidemic colic and 

 dysentery, which carries off the patient in two or three 

 hours.^ 



The Africans, says Mr. Smeatham, are less ingenious in 

 catching and preparing them. They content themselves in 

 collecting those which fall into the water at the time of 

 emigration. They skim them oflF the surface with calabashes, 

 filling large caldrons with them, then grill them in iron 

 pots, over a gentle fire, stirring them as coffee is stirred. 

 They thus eat them by handfuls, without sauce, or any other 

 preparation, and find them delicious. This gentleman has 

 several times eaten them cooked in this manner, and thinks 

 them delicate, nourishing, and wholesome, being sweeter than 

 the grub of the palm-tree weevil (Calandra palmarum), 

 and resembling in taste sugared cream or sweet almond 

 paste. - 



The Hottentots, Dr. Sparrman informs us, eat them 

 greedilv boiled and raw, and soon grow fat and plump upon 

 this food.' 



An idea may be formed of this dish by what once occurred 

 to Dr. Livingstone on the banks of the Zouga, in South 

 Africa. The Bayeiye chief Palani visiting this traveler while 

 eating, he gave him a piece of bread and preserved apricots ; 

 and as the chief seemed to relish it much, he asked him if 

 he had any food equal to that in his country. "Ah I" said 

 the chief, "did you ever taste White-ants?"' As the doctor 

 never had. he replied, "Well, if you had, you never could 

 have desired to eat anything better."* 



In the lake regions of Central Africa, says Burton, man 



1 Phil. Trans., Ixxi. 167-8, note. 2 Ibid. 



' Voy. to Cape of Good Hope^ i. 261 ; Cf. Alexander's Exptd. into 

 Africa, i. 52. 



* Trat. in S. Africa, p. oOl. 



