Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-08-09
The Bashikouay:
THE TERRIBLE EQUATORIAL ANT.

1t is their habit to march through the
forests in a long and regular line, about
two inches broad and often ten miles in
length. Along the line are larger ants,
who act as officers, stand outside the ranks
and keep this singular army in order If
they come to place where there are no
trees to shelter them from the sun, whose
heat they cannot bear, they Immediately
build underground tunnels, through which
the whole army passes in columns to the
forest beyond, These tunnels are four or
five feet underground, and are used only
in the heat of the day or during
storm.
When they get hungry the long file
spreads itself through the forest in a front
line, and devours all it comes to with
fury quite irresistible. The elephant and
gorilla fly before this attack. The black
men run for their lives. Every animal that
lives in their line of march is chased
They seem to understand and act upon the
tactics of Napoleon, and concentrate with
great speed their heaviest forces upon the
point Of attack. In an incredibly short
space Of time the mouse, or dog or leopard,
or deer is overwhelmed, killed, eaten, and
the bare skeleton only remains
They seem to travel night and day
Many time have been awakened out of
sleep, and obliged to rush from the hut
into the water to save my life, and after
all suffered intolerable agony from the bites
Of the advance guard, who had got into my
clothes. When they enter a house they
clear it of all living things. Reaches are
devoured in an instant. Rats and mice
spring round the room in vain. An over
whelming force Of ants kill strong rat in
less than minute, in spite of the most
frantic struggles, and in less than another
minute its bones are stripped. Every
living thing in the house is devoured.-
They will not touch vegetable matter.
Thus they are in reality very useful Gas
well as dangerously to the negroes, who
have their huts cleared Of all the aboun-
ding yermin, such as immense reaches
and centipedes, at least several times
year.
When on their march the insect world
flies before them, and have often had
the approach of bashikouay army her
aided to ne by this means. Wherever
they 60, they make clean sweep, even
ascending to the tops of the highest trees
in pursuit Of their prey. Their manner of
attack IS an impetuous leap. Instantly
the strong pincers are fastened, and they
emily let 60 when theE piece gives way
At such times the little animal seems
animated by kind of fury, which causes
it to disregard entirely its own safety, and
to seek only the conquest of its own prey.
The bite is very painful.
The negroes relate that criminals were,
in former times, exposed in the path of the
bashikouay ants, as the most cruel manner
of putting them to death
/ Two very remarkable practices of theirs
remain 10 be related When, on their line
Of march, 5hey must cross a stream, they
throw themselves across and form tunnel
"a living tunnel-eonnecting two trees or
high bushes on opposite sides of the little
stream This is done with great speed, and
is effected by great number giants, each
of which elings with its fore claws to its
next neighbours body or hind claws
Thus they form high, safe tubular bridge,
through which the whole vast regiment
marches in regular order. If disturbed, or
if the arch is broken by the Violence of
ssme animal, they attack the offender with
the greatest animosity.
The bashikouay have tie sense of smell
finely developed, as indeed have all the
ants know of, and they are guided very
much by it. They are larger than any
we have in America, being at least half
an inch long, and are armed with very
powerful fore legs and sharp jaws, with
which they bite. They are red or dark
brown in color. Their numbers are so
great that one does not like to enter into
calculations but I have seen one continual
line passing at good speed particular
place for twelve hours. The reader may
imagine for himself how many millions on
millions there may have been contained
hero.-Du CAailta in "Adventores an Af
RIGA.