house, being particularly anxious about my insect treasures,
I suspended the box from a bamboo on which I could
detect no sign of ants, and then began skinning some of
my birds. During my work I often glanced at my precious
box to see that no intruders had arrived, till after a longer
spell of work than usual I looked again, and saw to my
horror that a column of small red ants were descending the
string and entering the box. They were already busy at
work at the bodies of my treasures, and another half-hour
would have seen my whole day’s collection destroyed;
As it was, I had to take every insect out, clean them
thoroughly as well as the box, and then seek for a place
of safety for them. As the only effectual one I begged a
plate and a basin from my host, filled the former with
water, and standing the latter in it placed my box on the
top, and then felt secure for the night; a few inches of
clean water or oil being the only barrier these terrible pests
are not able to pass.
On returning home to Mamajam (as my house was
called) I had a slight return of intermittent fever, which
kept me some days indoors. As soon as I was well, I again
went to Goa, accompanied by Mr. Mesman, to beg the
Bajah’s assistance in getting a small house built for me
near the forest. We found him at a cock-fight in a shed
near his palace, which however he immediately left to
receive us, and walked with us up an inclined plane of
boards which serves for stairs to his house. This was large,
well built, and lofty, with bamboo floor and glass windows.
The greater part of it seemed to be one large hall divided
by the supporting posts. Near a window sat the Queen,
squatting on a rough wooden arm-chair, chewing the
everlasting sirih and betel-nut, while a brass spittoon by
her side and a sirih-box in front were ready to administer
to her wants, The Bajah seated himself opposite to her
in a similar chair, and a similar spittoon and sirih-box
were held by a little boy squatting at his side. Two other
chairs were brought for us. Several young women, some
the Bajah’s daughters, others slaves, were standing about; a
few were working at frames making sarongs, but most of
them were idle.
And here I might (if I followed the example of most
travellers) launch out into a glowing description of the
charms of these damsels, the elegant costumes they wore,
and the gold and silver ornaments with which they were
adorned. The jacket or body of purple gauze would
ficnire well in such a description, allowing the heaving
bosom to be seen beneath it, while “ sparkling eyes, and
“jetty tresses,” and “ tiny feet” might b e ’thrown in profusely.
But, alas ! regard for truth will not permit me
to expatiate too admiringly on such topics, determined as
I am to give as far as I can a true picture of the people
and places I visit. The princesses were, it is true, suffi