208 
LAIjTD CRABS. 
a mast, there is always suspended a bunch of grass 
enclosing some charm against danger and bad luck. 
Land crabs are very common round the edges of 
the bays, and form at certain seasons a large and 
much relished portion of the food of those who live 
near the sea. These active little crustacese scarcely 
move ont of their holes in the dry sand, during the 
daytime, but at night they run about on the beach in 
immense numbers; the natives then sally out with 
torches of resinous wood, the light of which allures 
them, and they are easily taken. One evening, while 
at West Bay, the shore looked as if illuminated, by 
the number of flambeaux which flitted about in all 
directions. 
One strange peculiai’ity in the Edeeyah tribes, is the 
inclination they feel to w^ork, hunt, or dance, in 
unison ; thus, whenever it is necessary to get them to 
labour, all the males of the village or town must be 
employed ; in this way an immense deal is accom- 
plished in a few days. Mr. Scott, a coloured person, 
who generally superintended their operations at 
Clarence, informed us, they could move the largest 
trees, and transport them, without difficulty, merely 
by the habit they have acquired of using their strength 
together ; so that when the same number of other 
negToes would be pulling away one against another, 
without much efiect, — the Edeeyahs are enabled to 
carry enormous weights. They are, however, very 
uncertain and capricious, seldom continuing many 
