80 
VAMFYRE BAf. 
bees, hanging near one another in vast clusters. 
At least five hundred were seen by this gentleman, 
hanging, some by their fore, and others by their 
hind legs, in a large tree, in one of the Friendly 
islands. Finch says, that ^ they hang by the claws 
to the bows of trees near Surat, in such vast clus- 
ters, as would surprise a man to see ; and the 
noise and squealing they make is so intolerable,, 
that 'twere a good deed to bring two or three pieces 
of ordnance, and scour the trees, that the country 
might be rid of such a plague as they are to it. J> 
Ina small island, one of the Philippines, Dampier 
tells us that he saw an incredible number of bats, 
so large that none of his company could reach from 
tip to tip of their wings, with their arms extender! 
to the utmost. The wings were of a mouse co- 
lour, and on the joints Were sharp crooked claws. 
In the evening, as soon as the sun was set, he says, 
these animals used to take their flight in swarms, 
like bees, to a neighbouring island ; and they were 
seen to continue in immense numbers, till darkness 
rendered them no longer visible. The whole of 
the time from day break in the morning till sun- 
rise, they occupied in returning to their former 
place ; and this course they constantly pursued 
all the time the ship remained stationed off that 
island. 
At Rose Hill, near Port Jackson, in New Hol- 
land, it is supposed that more than twenty thousand 
of these animals were seen within the space of a 
mile. Some that were taken alive in New Hol- 
land, would almost immediately after eat boiled 
rice, and other food from the hand ; and in a few 
days became as domestic as if they had been en- 
tirely bred in the house. Governor Phillip had a 
female, which would hang by one leg, a whole 
day, without changing its position, and in that 
