Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1869-03-25

disappeared from my good friends, the Faus.
I then passed through various tribes, the
Bonda. the Nbousha, and few Others, and came
to place where there was tribe called the
Mongalapa. got sick then. / am glad to
say never was day sick while was IN the
country Of those cannbal', and | was very
glad of it, for one didn't know what those Fsus
might attempt. Well, as soon as got among
the Nonga rested myself at the chiefs resi-
dencc-for all those chiefs were sure TO be my
friends. must tell you that got on the
good side of the women, and then everything
was safe after. /, is so in this country also.
If YOU have the women, the ladies, with you.
Won are sure to be safe. Well, got very i'll
then all this country down by the sea shore Is
so swampy. Day after day tried to break
the ellis down by taking quinine, but II SEEM
ed to have no effect, until at last was perfect
~ PROSTATE. I used often 10 wander out IN
those f,rests; 7 would sometimes rest there at
nights, and as | looked through the thick foll-
ace and saw those stars, wondered where my
mother might be, and whether she watched for
me. Oh. I felt so wretcbed, | had no one to talk
to. no one who could talk with me Of home
friends. but after few weeks got better and
ore day as | was laying in that forest, | got
walked M by an army Of bashiquas-a
strange kind If ant. was 50 much bitten by
them that was half dead An antelope had
been killed the day before by king Bongo
which had intended to eat. But 1t was now
covered with, oh millions Of ants! They are
the most wonderful insects in the forest. They
are the plague and dread Of every living thing
When they attack a village the people have to
light fires, pour hot water around and s'rew
burning ashes around to get rid Of these little
pests.
They are really wonderful creatures. They
travel by millions through the furest-always
in single line. and sometimes the line is miles
upon miles in length. The line is generallytwo
inches in breath, and there are officers through
ont the entire length keeping watch so that
none Of those ants get out Of line. | watched
line passing one particular spot, and 1t was
twelve hours before the last Of those ants had
passed. As they 60 through tie forest, at
certain signal they spread themselves out and
attack everything that comes in their way
They will even 90 to the tops of trees; and
the insects and everything else flies away before
them. Elephants, antelopes, gazelles, snakes,
scorpions. all run away as fast as they cam
In fact many a time have been warned OF
the coming Of these bashiguas by the insects
and other creatures flying away in an opposite
direction. I got ready for them by having the
fires lighted. They are the most voraciols it,
tie creature. YOU can imagine II they found
dead elephant on their line Of march they
would attack it, and in a very short time no
thing would be left but the bones. Sometimes
the chiefs will have man tied up to tree,
} and within nm hour or two nothing would lie
left Of him but the skeleton. They certainly
are the most voracious creatures ever saw.
!
IS that they are afraid OF the sun. If they
come to part of the forest where the sun Is
shining, they dig tunnel under that spot, and
lass it by that means, and 50 continue their
march through the forests in single file as be-
fore.
Bot after all those little ants arc very useful
for when they go through a village they clear
ou, all the insects and vermin they Kill all
the rats and mice and those small snakes which
somehow manage to hide themselves away IN
the honses. and which are SO very dangerous.
You see we have very pleasant companions in
Toratorial Africa. Well, those ants destroy
everything Of that kind aud everybody is glad
after they are gone. When they want to cross
river they display wonderful ingennity-ii
is most astounding. don't mean Of COURSE.
any large river, but any little one, say two feet
across. They get up on the lower branch Of
some tree, and then number Of them swing
across aud furm a bridge; and the whole OF
the army then pass along their bodies; and
when tie line is passed. those others that form
the line swing OF to the opposite side Of the
stream and the entire body effects It's passage.
Il must be admitted that they are extremely
useful in clearing away large number Of
creatures that infest the country. II 1t was
not f,r those bashiquas the country would not
lie inhabitabe 81. Du Chailln Proceeded to
give an account Of other species Of the tribe,
the snakes, and other curious animals, and
concluded by thanking his audience for their
presence aud kind attention on this occasion.
Diptheria.
A recipe for the enre Of diptheria ispubIIshed