388 EXPLANATOEY INDEX. 



at the Indian hut than I lay down on the ground at full 

 length. Sickness had pressed so heavily on me that I was 

 callous to the well-known feeling which the Chigoe causes. I 

 was quite unconscious that there were nine thriving nests of 

 Chigoes in my back, until one was accidentally observed by the 

 old negro ; and this led to the discovery of the rest. I handed 

 him my penknife, and told him to start the intruders. Sick 

 as I was, I wished an artist were present at the operation. 

 The Indian's hut, with its scanty furniture, and bows and 

 arrows hanging round; the deep verdure of the adjoining 

 forest ; the river flowing rapidly by ; myself wasted to a 

 shadow ; and the negro grinning with exultation as he showed 

 me the Chigoes' nests which he had grubbed out, would have 

 formed a scene of no ordinary variety. 



"Dogs are often sorely tormented by the Chigoe ; and they 

 get rid of them by an extremely painful operation. They 

 gradually gnaw into their own toes, whining piteously as 

 they do it, until they get at the Chigoe's nest. Were it not 

 for this singular mode of freeing themselves from the latent 

 enemy, dogs would absolutely be cripples in Guiana." 



In Mr. Brown's Camp and Canoe Life in Guiana there is 

 an anecdote which well expresses the terrors which this tiny 

 plague can inspire into Europeans as well as natives. 



" Just then Ben returned from a voyage of discovery along 

 the path leading away from our camp, with a joyful expres- 

 sion of countenance betokening good news. ' Why, sir,' he 

 said, ' there is a good house not far oS, and it ain't got no 

 one in it.' I immediately went with him to see it, and, plod- 

 ding through mud and water, climbed a slight eminence to a 

 large open shed, situated in the midst of a clearing. I halted 

 close to it, and proposed that he should take a look at the 

 floor for insects. He walked boldly in, hesitated, looked 

 down at his bare feet, and, exclaiming ' Jiggers and dog 

 fleas full da here ! ' fled precipitately. I may here mention 

 that the jigger or Chigoe is a small flea that burrows under 

 the toe-nails, where it forms an egg-bag almost the size of a 



