Life at Ribe. 
155 
pied myself in writing till a late hour, I heard strange 
groans proceeding from the corner in which my 
colleague was lying. In another moment the latter 
was upon his feet, "dancing like a cat on hot bricks/' 
tearing at his hair in great rage, ejaculating wildly, 
and almost beside himself. I soon discovered that it 
was nought but an attack of ants. The floor of the 
room was covered with the black marauders ; the bed- 
clothes were alive with them, and my friend was 
picking them off his body, one after another, with an 
eagerness and activity which spoke powerfully as to 
the severity of the assault. If it were possible for a 
man to fall into such a trance as to become insensible 
to the bite of these creatures, it appears certain that 
he would be literally devoured alive. 1 know nothing 
like the fierceness with which these furies attack any 
and everything which they may find in their way, and 
a great deal more, for they often go out of their way 
in search of prey. 
Our whole settlement has often been turned out of 
bed, in the middle of the night, by these free-raiders. 
The only way of resisting their attacks is by fire ; 
you must fight fire with fire ; otherwise you must 
vacate your quarters till they please to retire. Every 
man, woman, and child seizes a firebrand, and, dash- 
ing at the foe, beats them back with flame. The 
slaughter among them is fearful ; you hear the crack- 
ling of their millions ; still millions more come on, and 
the battle proceeds till the earth is covered with the 
charred and shrivelled-up remains of the slain. Such 
is one of the liveliest scenes to be witnessed at Ribe. 
Snakes sometimes create a very considerable stir. 
Venomous or not these reptiles are always objects of 
