233 



I find the diftreffing annoyance of infe&s 

 a far greater evil than the increafed tempera- 

 ture, or any other ill of climate. I now luf- 

 fer confiderably from the " prickly heat," but 

 this would be very fupportable were it not for 

 the additional, and greater torment of mufqui- 

 toes, ants, centipedes, jack-fpaniards,* and the 

 multitudesof other infeds biting,buzzing about 

 our ears, crawling upon every thing we touch, 

 and filling the whole atmoiphere around us. 



My nights have lately been made fo 

 wretchedly comfortlefs, that I have now 

 eftablimed the habit of burning wet ftraw in 

 my room, before I go to bed, in order to fmoke 

 out the infe£ts. I likewife pra&ife the habit 

 of looking under my netting, with a lighted 

 candle, after it is let down for the night, to 

 fee if any ftragglers have been left withinfide, 

 and if I find any there, I conlider them as 

 enemies lurking for my blood, and, immedi- 

 ately, put them to death. Selfifhly looking 

 to a good night's reft from his deftrudlion, I 

 have no compun&ion in taking away the life 

 " of a mufquito ! Without con- 

 templating the poflible extent of his utility in 



* A large fpecies of wafp. 



