e way as they climb,
be it never so high. And if this Arch or Vault chance to be broken,
they all, how high soever they were, come back again to mend up the
breach, which being finished they proceed forwards again, eating every
thing they come at in their way. This Vermin does exceedingly annoy
the Chingulays, insomuch that they are continually looking upon any
thing they value, to see if any of these Vaeos have been at it. Which
they may easily perceive by this Case of dirt, which they cannot go up
any where without building as they go. And wheresoever this is seen,
no doubt the Ants are there.

[The curious Buildings of the Vaeos.] In places where there are no
houses, and they can eat nothing belonging to the people, they will
raise great Hills like Butts, some four or five or six foot high;
which are so hard and strong, that it would be work enough to dig
them down with Pick-Axes. The Chingulays call these Humbosses. Within
they are full of hollow Vaults and Arches where they dwell and breed,
and their nests are much like to Honeycombs, full of eggs and young
ones. These Humbosses are built with a pure refined Clay by the
ingenious builders. The people use this Clay to make their Earthen
Gods of, because it is so pure and fine.

[The manner of their death.] This sort of creatures as they increase
in multitudes, so they dy in multitudes also. For when they come to
maturity they have wings, and in the Evening after the going down
of the Sun, (never before) all those that are fledged and ripe, will
issue forth in such vast numbers, that they do almost darken the Sky,
flying to such an height, as they go out of sight, and so keep flying
till they fall down dead at last upon the Earth. The Birds that tarry
up late, and are not yet gone to roost, fly among them and make good
Suppers of them.

The People in this Land never feed their Poultry. But they feed upon
these Ants, which by scraping among the leaves and dirt they can never
want; and they delight in them above Rice or any thing else. Besides
all these Ants already mentioned, there are divers other distinct
sorts of them.

[Bees of several kinds.] But we will proceed to a more beneficial
Insect, the Bee. Of which there be three sorts. The first are the
Meemasses, which are the right English Bees. They build in hollow
Trees, or hollow holes in the ground, which the Vaeo's have made. Into
which holes the men blow with their mouths, and the Bees presently
fly out.