ANT-HILLS. 



259 



sum of four dollars, for permission to return by the river Mamore to his 

 own country, more than half the distance being through the wilderness, 

 beyond the line of civilization. The authorities insisted upon it ; he re- 

 quired a Bolivian passport to present to the authorities of his own 

 country when he arrived there, "otherwise they would not know where 

 he came from." There was some displeasure shown towards Don 

 Antonio, that he had not a thousand dollars in silver. He, on the other 

 hand, was displeased at being obliged to take cacao, instead of silver, for 

 his goods. 



The prefect of the Beni gave me a letter to the prefect of the depart- 

 ment of Santa Cruz, in case we found it impossible to get men in the 

 town of Matto Grosso, for Don Antonio's boat to descend the Madeira, 

 and could not pass by the forts on the Paraguay river, or over the 

 country to the Atlantic, through Brazil. We would have a passport to 

 return into Bolivia. It is necessary to have permission to come in as 

 well as to go out. 



Over one hundred Indians died with the small-pox while we were in 

 Trinidad. The people were still suffering with it when we left. 



Trapiche is situated two leagues west-northwest of Trinidad. The 

 road in August was dry, but in February is navigable for canoes. The 

 whole surface of the country is strewed with ant-hills, though not quite 

 as high as those of Masi plains. We examined the inside of one and 

 found the earth worked into a perfect honey crust, not regular like 

 hived bees make their comb, but bees that burrow in the ground, and 

 deposit their honey in a mass of cups. The inside of the ant-house was 

 built so that the ants could enter at the base and wind their way up to 

 the top. There w T as no outlet on the top ; the outside was one solid 

 mass of baked clay, burnt hard by the heat of tjie sun. We suppose 

 that the ants live in the garret when the lands are overflowed ; do not 

 crawl on the outside and get on the roof for safety or curiosity. Some 

 of these ants are small and reddish in color, while others are black. 

 They do not sting as those of the woods, until they are made very 

 angry, and then they worry a dog considerably. 



There are a great number of large pigeons feeding on these plains ; 

 the young are full-grown, very fat, and form a good substitute for 

 miserable beef. 



The Indians carry their loads of plantains, yuca, and wood, on the 

 crotches of two limbs. The single sticks made fast to the yoke of oxen, 

 secured on each side to the horns, while the two prongs slide on the 

 ground behind. Sometimes they secure a large square box or basket 

 on the crotches, and let the children ride in this Mojos carriage. The 



