342 CELEBES. [chap. xv. 



house, being particularly anxious about my insect treasures, 

 I suspended the box from a bamboo on which I could 

 detect no sign of ants, and then began skinning some of 

 my birds. During my work I often glanced at my precious 

 box to see that no intruders had arrived, till after a longer 

 spell of work than usual I looked again, and saw to my 

 horror that a column of small red ants were descending the 

 string and entering the box. They were already busy at 

 work at the bodies of my treasures, and another half-hour 

 would have seen my whole day's collection destroyed. 

 As it was, I had to take every insect out, clean them 

 thoroughly as well as the box, and then seek for a place 

 of safety for them. As the only effectual one I begged a 

 plate and a basin from my host, filled the former with 

 water, and standing the latter in it placed my box on the 

 top, and then felt secure for the night ; a few inches of 

 clean water or oil being the only barrier these terrible pests 

 are not able to pass. 



On returning home to Mamajam (as my house was 

 called) I had a slight return of intermittent fever, which 

 kept me some days indoors. As soon as I was well, I again 

 went to Goa, accompanied by Mr. Mesman, to beg the 

 Eajah's assistance in getting a small house built for me 

 near the forest. We found him at a cock-fight in a shed 

 near his palace, which however he immediately left to 

 receive us, and walked with us up an inclined plane of 



