104 OF SOCIABLE CAIEllPILLAUS. 



manner as they had mounted, a new line of direc- 

 tion was taken, which, however, was very soon most 

 alarmingly intermpted by the arrival of a woman 

 leading an ass loaded with brushwood, of which 

 some branches trailed along the path. After the 

 passage of this formidable assailant, 1 returned with 

 the same anxiety to examine the state of my colony, 

 and found that they had suffered materially from 

 the disaster, and were thrown into the greatest con- 

 fusion. The line of march had been broken ; a 

 considerable body still followed the leader with a 

 quickened pace ; others, united in parties of three 

 or four, regularly keeping their position in the rear 

 of each other, while their temporary conductor 

 sought, with evident anxiety, to find out the main 

 body, hastening first to the one side, and then to 

 the other. A good many were scattered singly, 

 and much distressed, seemingly uncertain how to 

 proceed. I took each of them up in its turn, and, 

 with a view to ascertain the range of their vision, 

 placed them at different distances from the main 

 body, with their heads turned towards it, and I 

 found that they uniformly remained quite uncon- 

 scious of its presence, until placed within half an 

 inch of each other. They then approached with 

 evident eagerness, and were readily admitted into 

 the line, by the rear halting until they had taken 

 their places. 



" I put one of these stragglers in front, with his 



