ffflfl 



50 



ANTS. 



bers were rapidly increasing. I had scarcely 

 recovered from the first surprise, when on look- 

 ing round, I saw that the other side of the 

 room was in the same state ; I left the place 

 quickly, and calling to some of the negroes, 

 desired them to bring coco and palm-leaves in 

 abundance ; this was done, and operations 

 being actively set on foot against them by ap- 

 plying lighted leaves to the walls, we soon got 

 rid of the major part of the ants; however 

 many of them escaped by retreating into the 

 numerous cracks in the walls. The next morn- 

 ing the walls were again white-washed, and as 

 many of the crevices filled up as possible. On 

 another occasion, I was awakened in bed in the 

 middle of the night, by a sensation in my feet, 

 as if they had been pricked gently by many 

 pins. I jumped up, and as there was a light in 

 the room, I soon perceived what had caused 

 the uneasy sensations ; several of these black- 

 ants were running about my legs, and upon the 

 bed and floor they were every moment becom- 

 ing more and more numerous. I escaped, and 

 as soon as the bed-clothes were removed the 

 scene of burning the host of enemies was re- 

 acted. 



There yet exists another description of ant>, 

 called the tioca ; these are black, and on the 

 whole are even larger than the destructive red 

 ant ; but I never saw the tioca in great nuni- 



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