the Termites cf Africa and other hot Climates . 181 
10 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 ( 4 *X If 
vou 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 defiroy or fpoil every thing 
in it before the morning fo). On thefe accounts we are careful 
to fet all our chefts and boxes, upon ftones or bricks, fo as to 
leave the bottoms of fuch furniture fome inches above the 
ground ; which not only prevents thefe infedts finding them 
out fo readily, butpreferves 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 infedts. 
When the Termites attack trees and branches in the open air, 
they fometimes vary their manner of doing it. If a flake in a 
hedge has not taken root and vegetated, it becomes their bud- 
nefs to deftroy it. If it has a good found bark round it, they 
“ years time defiroy the whole roof of an houfe, efpecially if it be of foft tim- 
“ ber. They have likewife caufed great Ioffes to fliop -keepers, by boring 
“ through whole bales of linnen as well as woolen cloths, hughes’s Barbadoes, 
p. 93. 
( 4 2 ) The floors are generally made of the {lone or clay taken from the hillfc 
raifed by thefe infedls, which, being moiflened with water, and mixed by treading, 
is beaten leyel, fmooth, and compadl, with their feet and a kind of hand-bat or 
beetle. 
( 43 ) u One night, in a few hours, they pierced one foot of the table, and 
11 (having in that manner afcended) carried their arch acrofs it, and then 
“ down through the middle of the other foot into the floor, as good luck would 
“ have it, without doing any damage to the papers left there,’ > kempfer Hid* 
Japan, vol, II. p. 127. 
will 
