308 
TURRET ANTS. 
by sundry gestures, gave us to understand that in his 
opinion, it was quite as deadly and unerring as the white 
man’s weapon. Some of the officers went into the country, 
and were much pleased with its openness and beauty. 
The thick underwood was here replaced by a luxuriant 
grass, twelve and fourteen inches high, and the trees 
w’^ere so far apart and so well arranged, as to give it 
quite the character of an English park. Here and there, 
some nice plantations fenced in, contained cassada, yam, 
pompions, Indian-corn, sugar-cane, all kept clean, and 
in the best condition of culture. 
Some of the largest turret-ant structures, Termites 
mordax, we ever met in Africa were seen here ; they 
were cylindrical accumulations of clay, in many cases 
five feet high, each surmounted by a conical top, with 
overhanging edges, in some there were two or three 
of these projecting eaves, probably added to repair 
dilapidations in the original roof caused by tornadoes. 
A broken and deserted nest displayed the internal 
arrangements, which were seen to consist of innume- 
rable passages, leading to oblong or oval compartments. 
All the entrances were from below, near the ground, 
and necessarily large, to admit so many inhabitants. 
The Krumen, who see many of these specimens of 
insect art in their own country, told us the smaller 
snakes often find their way in, and make such a hearty 
meal off the poor ants, that they become lethargic, and 
unable to crawl out again, when the occupants in 
return devour the unwelcome intmder. This story 
