chap, ix.] WHITE ANTS , 247 
A few extracts from my journal will close our sojourn 
at Latooka :— 
“ June 18 th .—The white ants are a curse upon 
the country; although the hut is swept daily and 
their galleries destroyed, they rebuild everything 
during the night, scaling the supports to the roof and 
entering the thatch. Articles of leather or wool are 
the first devoured. The rapidity with which they 
repair their galleries is wonderful; all their work is 
carried on with cement; the earth is contained in their 
stomachs,, and this being mixed with some glutinous 
matter they deposit it as bees do their wax. Although 
the earth of this country if tempered for house-building 
will crumble in the rain, the hills of the white ants 
remain solid and waterproof, owing to the glue in the 
cement. I have seen three, varieties of white ants— 
the largest about the size of a small wasp : this does not 
attack dwellings, but subsists upon fallen trees. The 
second variety is not so large ; this species seldom 
enters buildings. The third is the greatest pest: this 
is the smallest, but thick and juicy;—the earth is 
literally alive with them, nor is there one square foot 
of ground free from them in Latooka. 
“June 1 Oth .—Had a bad attack of fever yesterday 
that has been hanging about me for some days 
Weighed all the luggage and packed the stores in 
loads of fifty pounds each for the natives to carry. 
“June 20th .—Busy making new ropes from the bark 
of a mimosa; all hands at work, as we start the day 
after to-morrow. My loss in animals makes a difference 
of twenty-three porters’ loads. I shall take forty 
natives, as the bad road will necessitate light loads for 
the donkeys. I have now only fourteen donkeys 
these are in good condition, and would thrive, were not 
the birds so destructive by pecking sores upon their 
backs. These sores would heel quickly by the appli¬ 
cation of gunpowder, but the birds irritate and enlarge 
them until the animal is rendered useless. I have lost 
two donkeys simply from the attacks of these birds;— 
