430 RED ANTS. Chap. XXII. 



security; and at different parts of the road, we purchased fowls 

 from them at a penny each. My men took care to celebrate then 

 own daring in having actually entered ships, while the natives of 

 these parts, who had endeavoured 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 

 Ins bed with Ins head close to my feet, and never during the 

 entire journey did I have to call him twice, for anything I needed. 

 During our stay at Tala Mungongo, our attention was attracted 

 to a species of red ant, wliich infests different parts of tins country. 

 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 vigour. 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. Not 

 an instant seemed to elapse, before a simultaneous attack was 

 made on various unprotected parts, up the trousers 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. For- 

 tunately no one observed this rencontre, 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 

 onlv bite, but twist themselves round after the mandibles are 



