the Termites of Africa and other hot Climates. ] 81 
fo infidious in their attacks, that we cannot be too much on 
our guard againft them : they will fometimes begin and raife 
their works, efpecially in new houfes, through the floor (40. If 
you deftroy the work fo begun, and make a fire upon the fpot, the 
next night they will attempt to rife through another part ; and, 
if they happen to emerge under a cheft or trunk early in the 
night, will pierce the bottom, and deftroy or fpoil every thing 
in it before the morning (43). On thefe accounts we are careful 
to fet all our chefts and boxes upon hones or bricks, fo as to 
leave the bottoms of fuch furniture feme inches above the 
ground ; which not only prevents thefe infects finding them 
out fo readily, but preferves the bottoms from a corrofive damp 
which would ftrike from the earth through, and rot every 
thing therein : a vaft deal of vermin alfo would harbour under, 
fuch as Cock- roaches, Centipedes, Millepedes,. Scorpions, Ants, 
and various other noifome in feds... 
When the Termites attack. trees and : branches in the open air, 
they fometimes vary their manner of doing it. If a hake in a 
hedge has not taken root and vegetated, it becomes their bulk 
nefs to. deftroy it. If it has- a good found bark round it, they 
u years time deflroy the whole roof of an houfe, efpecially if it be of fofc tim-r 
4 ‘ her. They have likewife caufed great Ioffes to fhop-keepers, by borins- 
“ through whole bales of linnen as well as woolen, cloths, hughes’s Barbadoes" 
P- 93* 
( 42 ) The floors are generally made of the ftone or clay taken from the hills 
l-aifed by thefe infeds, which, being moiftened with water, and mixed by treading, 
is beaten level, fmooth, and compad, with their feet and a kind of hand-bat or 
beetle, *■ 
(43) “ One night, in a few hours, they pierced one foot of the table, and 
“ ( havin g iQ that manner attended) carried their arch acrofs it, and then 
“ down through the middle of the other foot into the. floor, as good luck would 
“ have without doing any damage to the papers left there,” kempfer Hift. 
Jtipan^ vol, II, p. i 2 j. 
