The Two Chiefs, Moy And Commoro, Found Themselves
In A Dilemma, As They Had Allied Themselves With The Turks In The Attack
Upon The Neighbouring Town, Depending Upon Them For Future Support; They
Were Now Left In The Lurch, And Felt Themselves Hardly A Match For Their
Enemies.
A few extracts from my journal will close our sojourn at
Latooka:
"June 18th. - 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 wood 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.
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