68 A VOYAGE TO Book L 



do immenfe damage among the vafl: quantity of goods 

 landed for warehoufes, and for fale in the (hops. The 

 beft, and indeed the only method, is, of laying the bales 

 on benches, about half a yard from the ground, and 

 to cover the feet of them with alquitran, or naptha, 

 the only prefervative again ft this fpecies of vermin ; 

 for, with regard to wood, it eats into that as eafily as 

 into the goods, but will not come near it when covered 

 with naptha as above. 



Neither would this precaution be fufficient for the 

 fafety of the goods, without a method of keeping them 

 from touching the walls ; and then they are fuf- 

 ficiently fecured. This infedl is fo fmall, as to be 

 fcarce vifible to the naked eye ; but of fuch adivity, 

 as to deftroy all the goods in a warehoufe, where it 

 has got footing, in one night's time. Accordingly it 

 is ufual that in running the rifques of commerce, in 

 goods configned to Carthagena, the circumftances are 

 fpecified, and in thefe are underftood to be included 

 the loffes that may happen in that city by the comegen. 

 This infe(5t infeus neither Porto Bello, nor even places 

 nearer Carthagena, though they have fo many other 

 things in common with that city ; nor is it fo much 

 as known among them. 



What has been faid, will, I hope, be fufficient to 

 give an adequate idea of this country, without fwelling 

 the work with trivial obfervations, or fuch as have been, 

 already publiihed by others. We ftiall now proceed to 

 treat dillindtly of other equally wonderful works of 

 Omnipotence, in this country. 



CHAP. 



