n, that one is able to pass across the country without difficulty
in every direction. The elephants and coolies, with our tents and
baggage, could rarely in a straight course make good more than fifteen
miles a-day, whereas Nowell and I found that we could even walk further
than that, and ride more than twice the distance. We therefore
frequently used to push on, either before or after our noon-day rest, so
as to get some shooting, and, at all events, to kill some game for
provisioning our party.

One day a strongish breeze, which had somewhat cooled the air, tempted
us to start away rather earlier than usual after our rest at noon, we
having heard that we were approaching a country where a number of deer
and a quantity of other game was to be found. By-the-bye, I had run a
great chance that night of being devoured by--not a leopard, or a hear,
or a crocodile, however. I was asleep, when I suddenly began to dream
that I was Gulliver, or some such person, and that a thousand
Lilliputians were attempting to bind me, running their swords and spears
into me in the most unmerciful manner. I awoke, and, putting out my
hands, began to pull off from my neck, face, and arms, handfuls of
insects. I jumped out of bed, and instantly my legs were covered in the
same manner. I shouted lustily for a light, awaking all the camp, when
Dango came running in with a torch, and I found myself covered with a
battalion at least of an army of black ants, each half an inch long,
which were marching across the country. Their line was fully five feet
in breadth, and, as their custom is, they went straight up and down, and
over everything, never deviating to the right hand or the left. Finding
our tent in the way, they had passed under the canvas, but, as my ill
luck would have it, exactly over my bed, and away they streamed out
again on the opposite side of the tent. When I got out of the way, and
swept those on me off, they joined the main body and continued their
march. Although provided with formidable mandibles, they are destitute
of venom, so that I only felt the punctures they made, without any
inflammation following. When my sheets had once more assumed a snowy
appearance I turned in, and quiet was restored.

As we were setting off, Mr Fordyce told us that he would join us
perhaps in the cool of the evening, and charged us to take care of
ourselves, and not to follow any elephants or bears likely to teach us
that we had caught