N A R R A T I V E O F A N
been calmly permitted, after burning their houfes, eveft
to carry away their wives; and daughters*
On the 16th we continued our march due E .u p o n a
-ridge or elevated ground; Thefe ridges? i f I miftake not,,
run generally in tins country"Ë; and W'. as do alfo moffc
o f the marlhes and fwamps. Having advanced rather a
lefs diftance than we did the day before, we-Were orderéd
early fo ilin g bun hammocks, and to fleep without any
covering, to prevent the enemy-from hearing the found
o f cutting the trees; nor'were ariy fires' allowed to be*
lighted; rior a word to be fpokfen, while a ftrift watch Was
fcept rottnd the camp. Thefe, in fa<ft;!were all very ne-
ceflary precautions; but i f We were not recovered b y -the
enemy, we'were almoft devoured by the clouds o f gnats'
ór mUÏquitoes, which’ afofe* from afreighbouririg marfh :
for f o y K 8 part I fuffered m & e * e b than I had even
done on board the fatal barges in the upper Cottica, as
Wé ebuid make no fmoke to drive them away* 'In* this-
fituation I faw thepoor men dig holes with M M H R
in the earth, into whichfthey thruft their heads; flopping
the entry and covering their necks with their hammocks',
while they lay with their bellies on the ground. To fleep
in any other pofition Was ahfolutely impoflible.
By the advice of a nègroflsfve, r ’hdWevër enjoyed my
Climb,” faid he, “ maffera, with your hammock
« to the top o f the higheft tree that is in the camp, and
« there go fleep; riot a firigle mufquito will dillurb you,
a the fwarm Will be fufficiently attracted by the'ftnell o f
*( the
*{ the fweating multitude below.”—This I immediately
tried, and flept exalted near one hundred feet above my
companions, whom I could not fee for the myriads o f
ririifquitoes below me, nor even hear them, from the in-
ceflant buzzing o f thefe'trOüblefome infefts.
- This Was'the-principal diftrefsf of | the night; while,
during the day, we had - ! frequently been attacked by
Whole armies" o f fmall emmets.,1 called' here fire-ants,
from ïhéir painful biting. Th'èfe riile'óls-a-fe - black, and
Very diminutive, b u f liVérin.' fuch ama#jleg'multitudes
together, that their hillocks have sfometimes obftrufted
our paffagfeby their iizey OVer which; -if one chances-to
'pafs*, th ë f e e t arid ïegd’dfë-mftahfly 'covered with innumerable^
elf thefe creatures, which feizë the Ikin with fuch
Violence- in their pincers, that • they will fooner fuffer the
head tO be parted From their bo'dy, than let go their hold.
The burning pain which they oecalion cannot, in my
Opinion, proceed from thé fharpnefs ofttheir pincers; Only,
but mull be owing to fome Venomous fluid which* they
ihfufê? or which the Wound • imbibes- from them. I can
aver that I have feen them make a whole company h o p
about, asrif they had been fealded-with boiling water. •
■ h On the 17th we contiüued öur inarch frill due E. till nine
f f c k , when We altered Ouri ebufie £0 the N. and had to
fcramble through great quantified o f thofe mataky roots,
or" trumpeters already' deferibed, Which proved that we
weie defcending into the low groundsj and indeed the foil
. foon became very marfriy; fortunately, however, though
it was now the wet feafon, we had as yet very little rain.
I This
it
I