KED ANTS. 4g7 



and at different parts of the road we purchased fowls from them 

 at a penny each. My men took care to celebrate their own daring 

 in having actually entered ships, while the natives of these parts, 

 who had endeavored to frighten them on their way down, had only 

 seen them at a distance. Poor fellows ! they were more than ever 

 attentive to me ; and, as they were not obliged to erect sheds for 

 themselves, in consequence of finding them already built at the 

 different sleeping-places, all their care was bestowed in making me 

 comfortable. Mashauana, as usual, made his bed with his head 

 close to my feet, and never during the entire journey did I have to 

 call him twice for any thing I needed. 



During our stay at Tala Mungongo, our attention was attract- 

 ed to a species of red ant which infests different parts of this coun- 

 try. It is remarkably fond of animal food. The commandant 

 of the village having slaughtered a cow, slaves were obliged to sit 

 up the whole night, burning fires of straw around the meat, to 

 prevent them from devouring most of it. These ants are fre- 

 quently met with in numbers like a small army. At a little 

 distance they appear as a brownish-red band, two or three inches 

 wide, stretched across the path, all eagerly pressing on in one 

 direction. If a person happens to tread upon them, they rush 

 up his legs and bite with surprising vigor. The first time I 

 encountered this by no means contemptible enemy was near 

 Cassange. My attention being taken up in viewing the distant 

 landscape, I accidentally stepped upon one of their nests. ISTot 

 an instant seemed to elapse before a simultaneous attack was 

 made on various unprotected parts, up the trowsers from below, 

 and on my neck and breast above. The bites of these furies 

 were like sparks of fire, and there was no retreat. I jumped 

 about for a second or two, then in desperation tore off all my 

 clothing, and rubbed and picked them off seriatim as quickly as 

 possible. Ugh ! they would make the most lethargic mortal look 

 alive. Fortunately, no one observed this rencounter, or word might 

 have been taken back to the village that I had become mad. I 

 was once assaulted in a similar way when sound asleep at night 

 in my tent, and it was only by holding my blanket over the fire 

 that I could get rid of them. It is really astonishing how such 

 small bodies can contain so large an amount of ill-nature. They 

 not only bite, but twist themselves round after the mandibles are 



