NORTH AMERICA. 
3^3 
of feveral fpecies, and their numbers incredible. 
We travelled aim oft from fun-rile to his letting, 
amidil a hying hoft of thefe perfecuting fpirirs, who 
formed a vafl cloud around our caravan fo thick as 
to obfcure every diftant object ; but our van always 
bore the brunt of the conflict ; the head, neck, and 
fhoulders of the leading horfes were continually in 
a gore of blood : force of thefe hies were near as 
large as humble bees 5 this is the hippobofea. They 
are armed with a flrong fharp beak or probofeis, 
fhaped like a lancet, and fheathed in flexible thin 
valves ; with this beak they in ft an fly pierce the 
veins of the creatures, making a large orifice from 
whence the blood fprings in large drops, rolling 
down as tears, caufing a fierce pain or aching for a 
confiderable time after the wound is made. There 
are three or four fpecies of this genus of lefs fize 
but equally vexatious, as they are vaftly more nu- 
merous, aitive and fanguineous ; particularly, one 
about half the fize of the firfl mentioned, the next 
lefs, of a dufky colour with a green head ; another 
yet fomewhat lefs, of a fplendid green and the head 
of a gold colour j the fling of this is intolerable, 
no lefs acute than a prick from a red-hot needle, or 
a fpark of fire on the (kin ; thefe are called the 
burning Hies. Befides the preceding tormentors, 
there are three or four fpecies of the afilus or fmallcr 
biting flies ; one of a gray ilia dufky colour ; ano- 
ther much of the fame colour, having fpotted wings 
and a green head ; and another very fmail and 
perfectly black : this laft fpecies lies in ambufh in 
fhrubby thickets and Cane brakes near water: 
whenever we approach the cool fhade? near creeks, 
impatient for repofe and relief, almofc finking un- 
der the perfecutions from die evil fpirits, who con- 
tinually 
