RED ANTS. 



45 



mediately commenced operations. There was a 

 >;teep bank a little below the cottage, which had 

 every appearance of harbouring these insects, 

 for the red earth which lies at some distance 

 below the surface of the ground, was thrown up 

 all around it. I placed four negroes below the 

 bank, to cut it away perpendicularly. They had 

 not worked long before the war commenced, 

 for a war it was when some of the nests were 

 laid open. The ants came out in great num- 

 bers, but torches of dried coco-leaves were ready 

 and a large fire, and with these weapons we had 

 much the advantage of them. The bank con- 

 tained a vast number of circular holes of about 

 six inches diameter, which were placed at un- 

 equal distances from each other, and many of 

 them were without subterraneous communica- 

 tions from one to the other. Every one had a 

 passage to the surface of the ground, and some 

 of them had more than one leading upwards. 

 These nests or holes contained a substance of a 

 gray colour, which bore the appearance of thick 

 cobwebs pressed closely together ; and on being 

 oqueezed in the hand it had a liquid feel, that is, 

 the skin was moistened by it. When put into 

 water it swam upon the top. We had placed a 

 large brass basin upon the fire, and filled it with 

 water for the purpose of putting this substance 

 into it. In some of the circular holes there 

 were no ants, but others were crowded with 



