100 
Betes Roeges Reinforce the Chigoes. 
free from the pest — and the men consider it beneath their dignity to 
relieve the tormented creatures of their trouble — the miserable yelping, 
whining and whimpering beasts can generally be seen tearing and 
biting away at their paws. 
341. The favourite resort of these vermin is in the Indian houses, 
especially when built on sandy soil, and it is only by continually keep- 
ing this damp that the plague can be somewhat checked, for moisture 
appears to be absolutely repugnant to them. Even high boots, and 
doubled and trebled socks do not keep them off: they still find their 
way in to the toe-nails. Chigoes oftentimes get so much the upper hand 
in a settlement that the residents are forced to abandon it altogether. 
342. The adage: “Experience bought is best” found in me an apt 
pupil, for from now onwards 1 never missed having my feet examined 
every morning, and on few occasions did it happen that 20 to 30 were 
not extracted, this finally reducing the balance of my nails on all ten 
toes to practically nothing. Mr. Hancock and good-tempered Stöckle 
were plagued to a similar degree as myself: the latter suffered consid- 
erable inflammation of the feet at first, this being probably produced by 
the continual picking and digging, which made walking quite impossi- 
ble. Several negroes and myself soon became fellow- victims and I felt 
forced to regret my previous neglect all the more in that it exercised a 
considerable influence upon the remainder of my trip. 
343. As it never rains but it pours, so also with our pests at Cumaka. 
If the chigoes chose the feet for their recreation ground, another insect 
took possession of our privates and certain portions of the abdomen, 
where it caused similar trouble. Almost every grass-blade harboured 
a species of Acarus, probably of the genus Trombidium and known by 
the general name of Bete Rouge which, sticking on to the person pass- 
ing along, make their way to these situations where they just bury them 
selves and give rise to an intolerable itching and burning sensa- 
tion. On examining such a place one notices under the skiu 
an almost invisible little scarlet dot. The insect makes a way into the 
skin by means of its long proboscis and generally remains there two 
or three days: during this period it gives rise to an unbearable itch and 
shortly also to small painful lumps that often proceed to inflame ow- 
ing to the considerably increased irritation ol the epidermis and the 
irresistible inclination of scratching it. The trouble ends only with 
the death and dissolution of the little beast. The only remedy we found 
effective was lemon juice or spirits with which we rubbed the spots: 
this seemed to kill the insects at once, because the red dot changed every 
time into a black one. Only a person who has experienced the awful 
plague can have a full conception of the sufferings which of an evening 
convert the longed-for hammock into a real Laurentian grill, and of a 
day drive the sweat of anguish out of every pore. And finally, in order 
that our hands and face should not get off Scot free these were supplied 
with myriads of mosquitoes and a large ant Pomera clarata ( Formica 
' cl ami a Br.), the whole appearance of which made it look suspicious 
enough, its long black body being set with scattered hairs: fortunately 
it is always only found isolated on the trees or bushes. During the 
course of my short journey T had already come across many an ache and 
