184 Mr. smeathman’s Account of 
fury they fhew. In their hurry they frequently mifs their 
hold, and tumble down the fides of the hill, but recover them- 
felves as quickly as poffible ; and, being blind, bite every 
thing they run againft, and thus make a crackling noife, while 
fome of them beat repeatedly with their forceps upon the build- 
ings and make aTm'all vibrating noife, fomething fhriller and 
quicker than the ticking of a watch : I could diftinguifh this 
noife at three or four feet diftance, and it continued fora minute 
at a' time, with fhort intervals. While the attack proceeds they 
are in the moft violent buftle and agitation. If they get hold of 
anyone, they will in an inftaht let out blood enough to weigh 
againft their whole body ; and if it is the leg they wound, you 
will fee the ftain upon the flocking extend an inch in width. 
They make their hooked jaws meet at the firft ftroke, and never 
quit their hold, butfuffer themfelves to be pulled away leg by 
leg, and piece after piece, without the leaft attempt to efcape. 
On the other hand, keep out of their way, and give them no 
interruption, and they will in lefs than half an hour retire into 
the nefty as if they fuppofed the wonderful monfter that da- 
maged their caftle to be gone beyond their reach. Before they are 
all got in you will fee the labourers in motion, and haftening 
in various directions toward the breach : every one with 
a burthen of mortar in his mouth ready tempered.. This they 
ftick upon the breach as faft as they come up, and do it with 
fa much dilpatch and facility, that although there are thou- 
fands, and I may fay millions, of them, they never flop or 
“ down. I one day attempted to knock, off the top of one of them with my cane, 
“ but the ftroke had no other effect than to bring fome thoufands of the animals 
Ci out of doors, to fee what was the matter: upon which I took to my heels and 
“ ran away as faft as I could/’ smith’s Voyage to Guinea. 
embarrafs 
