366 THE PHILOSOPHY 



The entrances into the royal chamber will not admit any animal 

 larger than the foldiers or labourers. Hence the king and the queen, 

 which lafl, when full grown, is a thoufand times the weigh;: of a 

 king, can never poOibly go out. The royal chamber is furrounded 

 by an innumerable quantity of others, which are of different fizes, 

 figures, and dimenfions ; but all of them are arched either in a cir- 

 cular or an elliptical form, Thefe chambers either open into each 

 other, or have communicating paflTages, which being always clear, 

 are evidently intended for the conveniency of the foldiers and at- 

 tendants, of whom, as will foon appear, great numbers are necef-" 

 fary. Thefe apartments are joined by the magazines and nurferies. 

 The magazines are chambers of clay, and are at all times well ftored 

 with provifions, which, to the naked eye, feem to confift of the rafp- 

 ings of wood and plants which the termites deftroy; but, when ex- 

 amined by the microfcope, they are found to confift chiefly of the 

 gums or infpifl'ated juices of plants, thrown together in fmall irre- 

 gular mafl!es. Of thefe mafles, fome are finer than others, and re- 

 femble the fugar about preferved fruits j others refemble the tears of 

 n-um, one being quite tranfparent, another like amber, & third brown, 

 and a fourth perfe6tly opaque. 



The magazines are always intermixed with the nurferies, which 

 laft are buildings totally different from the reft of the apartments. 

 They are compofed entirely of wooden materials, which feem to be 

 cemented with gums. Mr Smeathman very properly gives them the 

 appellation oi nurferies ;'htcn\\k they are invariably occupied by the 

 eggs, and the young ones, which firft appear in the fliape of la- 

 bourers ; but they are as v?hite as fnow. Thefe buildings are ex- 

 ceedingly compadt, and are divided into a number of fmall irregu- 

 lar-fliaped chambers, not one of which is half an inch wide. They 

 iire placed all round, and as near as poffible to the royal apartments. 



When 



