fBEOCITY OP THE SOLDIERS. 



In their hiu'ry they frequently miss their hold, and tumble 

 down the sides of the hill, but recover themselves as quickly as 

 possible ; and being blind, bite everything they run against, and 

 thus make a crackling noise, while some of them beat repeatedly 

 with their forceps upon the building, and make a small vibrating 

 noise, something shriller and quicker than the ticking of a watch. 

 This noise can be distinguished at three or four feet distance, and 

 continues for a minute at a time, with short intervals. While 

 the attack proceeds, they are in the most violent bustle and 

 agitation. 



65. If they get hold of any one they will, in an instant, 

 let out blood enough to weigh against their whole body; and 

 if it is the leg they wovind, you will see the stain upon the 

 stocking extend an inch in width. They make their hooked 

 jaws meet at the first stroke, and never quit their hold, but 

 suffer themselves to be pulled away leg by leg, and piece after 

 piece, without the least attempt to escape. On the other hand, 

 keep out of their way, and give them no interruption, and they 

 will, in less than half an hour, retire into the nest, as if they sup- 

 posed the wonderful monster that damaged their castle to be gone 

 beyond their reach. 



66. Before they are all got in, you will see the labourers in 

 motion, and hastening in various directions towards the breach ; 

 every one with a burthen of mortar in his mouth ready tempered. 

 This they stick upon the breach as fast as they come up, and do 

 it with so much dispatch and facility, that although there are 

 thousands, and even millions of them, they never stop or embarrass 

 one another ; and you are most agreeably deceived when, after 

 an apparent scene of hurry and confusion, a regular wall arises, 

 gradually filling up the chasm. While they are thus employed, 

 almost all the soldiers are retired quite out of sight, except here 

 and there one, who saunters about among six hundred or a 

 thousand of the labourers, but never touches the mortar either to 

 lift or carry it; one, in particular, places himself close to the 

 wall they are building. 



67. This soldier wiU turn himself leisurely on all sides, and 

 every now and then, at intervals of a minute or two, lift up his 

 head, and with his forceps beat upon the building, and make the 

 vibrating noise before mentioned ; on which immediately a loud 

 hiss, which appears to come from all the labourers, issues from 

 within side the dome, and all the subterraneous caverns and 

 passages : that it does come from the labourers is very evident, 

 for you wUl see them all hasten at every such signal, redouble 

 their pace, and work as fast again. 



68. As the most interesting experiments become dull by repe- 



123 



