EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 187 



the track of the rebels by the marks of their footfteps c H A P. 

 in the mud, by the broken bottles, plan tain -fii. ells, Sec. ,^J[^I1^ 

 and found that by appearance it bore towards Pinne- 

 burgh, already mentioned. 



I had now indeed found the neft, but the birds 

 were flown. We continued our march till eight o'clock, 

 when we arrived at the Society poft Scribo, in Perica, in 

 a moft fhocking condition, having waded through water 

 and mire above our hips, climbed over heaps of fallen 

 trees, and crept underneath on our bellies. This, how- 

 ever, was not the worit, for our flefli was terribly 

 mangled and torn by the thorns, and ftung by the Patat 

 lice, ants, and wajfy-waffvy or wild bees. This laft is an 

 infe6t not larger than an Englifti blue-bottle fly, and is of 

 a black colour, quite different from our bees ; they are 

 never kept in hives, but fwarm wild in the forefl, where 

 they build in hollow trees or between the branches ; their 

 nefts being fometimes as large as an inflated cow's blad- 

 der, to which they bear no bad refemblance, both in colour 

 and fmoothnefs, except in being lefs regularly oval ; from 

 thefe abodes (when the neft or the branches are inad- 

 vertently touched) thoufands of warriors fally forth ; and 

 this little flying army is extremely formidable, pitching 

 always by inflindl on the eyes, lips and hair, whence 

 they cannot eafily be diflodged; their flings generally 

 caufe a fever, and fwell the parts fo very much that 

 they occafion blindnefs for feveral hours; their honey 

 ... B b 2 - 



