CHAP. XXXI-] 



RAFENOUS BOGS, 



467 



Tlie natives use the smaller ones for tolmcco or betel-nut, 

 but seltlom have clothes enough to req^uire the larger ones, 

 which are only made for sole. 



Among the domestic animals which may generally be 

 seen in native houses, are gaudy parrot-s, green, red, and 

 blue, a few domestic fowls, which have baskets hung for 

 them to lay in under the eaves, and who sleep on the 

 ridge, and several half-starved wolfish-looking dogs. In- 

 stead of nits and mice there are curious little marsupial 

 animals about the same size, which run about at night and 

 nibble anything eatable that may be left uncovered. Four 

 or five di^erent kinds of ants attack everything not 

 isolated by water, and one kind even swims across that ; 

 great spiders lurk in baskets and Ikjxcs, or hide in the folds 

 of my mosquito curtain ; centipedes and millepedes are 

 found everywhei'e. I have caught them under my pillow 

 and on my head ; while in every box, and under every 

 board which lias lain for some days undisturbed, little 

 scorpions are sure to l>e found snugly ensconced, with their 

 formidable tails quickly turned up ready for attack or 

 defence. Such companions seera very alarming and dan- 

 gerous, but all combined are not so beid as the irritation 

 of mosquitoes, or of the insect pests often found at 

 homa These latter are a constant and unceasing source 

 of torment and disgust, whereas you may live a long time 

 among scorpions, spiders, and centipedes, ugly and veno- 

 mous though they are, and get no harm from them. After 

 living twelve yeai-s in the tropics, I have never yet been 

 bitten or stung by either. 



The lean and bungiy dogs befoi-e mentioned were my 

 greatest eneniies, and kept me constantly on the watch. 

 If my boys left the bird they were skinning for an instant, 

 it was sure to be carried oli". Everything eatable had to 

 be hung up to the roof, to be out of their reach. ALL 

 had just finished skinning a tine King llird of Paradise 

 one day, when he dropped the skin. Before be could 

 stoop to pick it up, one of this famished race had seized 

 upon it, and he only succeeded in rescuing it from its 

 fangs after it was torn to tatters. Two skins of the large 

 I'aradisea, which were quite dry and retnly to pack away, 

 were incautiously left on my table for the night, wrapped 



II U 2 



