MINES OF ASIA CHAP. It. 



tioned by the testimony of Pliny 1 . " In the 

 vicinity of the Bactrians, who are distinguished 

 for their bravery, and are employed in searching 

 for gold, there are vast deserts of sand, in which 

 a species of ants is produced, not so large as a 

 dog, but bigger than aYox. Some of these, taken 

 by hunting, are preserved in the palace of the 

 Persian monarch. Like the ants common in 

 Greece, which in form also they nearly resem- 

 ble, they make themselves habitations in the 

 ground, by digging under the sand. The sand 

 thus thrown up is mixed with gold dust, to col- 

 lect which the Indians are despatched into the 

 deserts. They proceed on this expedition with 

 three camels fastened together; a female being 

 secured between two males, and upon her the 

 Indian is seated, taking care to select one that 

 has recently foaled. The females of this de- 

 scription are quite as swift as horses, and capable 

 of bearing much heavier burdens. Having thus 

 connected their camels, the Indians proceed in 

 search of the gold, choosing the hottest time of 

 the day as most proper for their purpose, for 

 then it is that the ants conceal themselves un- 

 der the earth. As soon as they arrive at the 

 spot, the Indians precipitately fill their bags 

 with sand, and return as expeditiously as possi- 

 ble. The Persians .say that these ants know 



i Pliny, b. xxxiii. cap. 1. 



