838 INSECTA — TERMITES. 



which is the habitable part, divided with a wonderful kind of regularity and 

 contrivance, into an amazing number of apartments for the residence of the 

 king and queen, and the nursing of their numerous progeny ; or for maga- 

 zines, which are always found well filled with stores and provisions. 



" These hills make their first appearance above ground by a little turret or 

 two in the shape of sugar-loaves, which are run a foot high or more. Soon 

 after, at some little distance, while the former are increasing in height and 

 size, they raise others, and so go on increasing the number and widening 

 them at the base, till their works below are covered with these turrets, which 

 they always raise the highest and largest in the middle, and by filling up the 

 intervals between each turret, collect them as it were into one dome. They 

 are made very solid and strong, and when by the junction of them the dome 

 is completed, for which purpose the turrets answer as scaffolds, they take 

 away the middle ones entirely, except the tops (which joined together make 

 the crown of the cupola,) and apply the clay to the building of the works 

 within, or to erecting fresh turrets for the purpose of raising the hillock still 

 higher ; so that no doubt some part of the clay is used several times, like the 

 boards and posts of a mason's scaffold. 



" When these hills are at their full height, they answer excellently as places 

 to look out. I have been with four men on the top of one of these hillocks. 

 Whenever word was brought us of a ressel in sight, we immediately ran to 

 some bugga bug hill, as they are called, and clambered up to get a good view, 

 for unon the common surface it was seldom possible to see over the grass ox 



plants. 



" The interior parts of these buildings are disposed nearly as follows : 

 " The royal chamber, which I call so on account of its being occupied by 

 the king and queen, is situated at about a level with the surface of the ground, 

 at an equal distance from all the sides of the building, and directly under the 

 apex of the hill. 



" It is on all sides, both above and below, surrounded by what I should 

 call the royal apartments, which have only laborers and soldiers in them, 

 and can be intended for no other purpose than for these to wait in, either to 

 guard or serve their common father and mother, on whose safety depends 

 the happiness, and, according to the negroes, even the existence, of the whole 

 community. These apartments compose an intricate labyrinth, which ex- 

 tends a foot or more in diameter from the royal chamber on every side. 

 Here the nurseries and magazines of provisions begin, and, being separated 

 by small empty chambers and galleries, which go round them or communi- 

 cate from one to the other, are continued on all sides to the outward shell, 

 and reach up within it two thirds or three fourths of its height, leaving an 

 open area in the middle under the dome, which very much resembles the nave 

 of an old cathedral : this is surrounded by three or four very large Gothic 

 shaped arches, which are sometimes two or three feet high next the front of 

 the area, but diminish very rapidly as they recede from thence like the arches 



