SOUTH AMERICA. 177 

 foot, I found the Vampire had tapped his great toe : Third 



Journey. 



there was a wound somewhat less than that made by a 



leech ; the blood was still oosing from it ; I conjectured 

 he might have lost from ten to twelve ounces of blood. 

 Whilst examining it, I think I put him into a worse 

 humour by remarking, that an European surgeon would 

 not have been so generous as to have blooded him Avithout 

 making a charge. He looked up in my face, but did not 

 say a word : I saw he was of opinion that I had better 

 have spared this piece of ill-timed levity. 



It was not the last punishment of this good gentleman Species of 



large red 



in the river Paumaron. The next night he was doomed Ant. 

 to undergo a kind of ordeal unknown in Europe. There 

 is a species of large red Ant in Guiana, sometimes called 

 Ranger, sometimes Coushie. These Ants march in mil- 

 lions through the country, in compact order, like a 

 regiment of soldiers ; they eat up every insect in their 

 march ; and if a house obstruct their route, they do not 

 turn out of the way, but go quite through it. Though 

 they sting cruelly when molested, the planter is not 

 sorry to see them in his house ; for it is but a passing 

 visit, and they destroy every kind of insect vermin that 

 had taken shelter under his roof. 



Now, in the British plantations of Guiana, as well as 

 in Europe, there is always a little temple dedicated to the 

 goddess Cloacina. Our dinner had chiefly consisted of 

 crabs, dressed in rich and different ways. Paumaron is 



2 A • ■ 



