Another very singular animal of the insect tribe which I met with here, is of the class of locusts, which I have not seen in any other part of Africa. Its form is similar to that of the grasshopper, but it has four long transparent wings. The body is of a scarlet colour, the wings of a bright yellow. It is about four inches and a half long. At a leap, assisted by its wings, it can clear about twelve yards. Another insect is the large winged ant, about the dimensions of the wasp in England. They are well known to all African travellers, although some of their habits and powers may not have been noticed. One circumstance I shall relate, which convinced me at least of one peculiarity in that insect. Yesterday morning, after a night’s heavy rain, I observed several of them going singly in different directions; for they seldom go in large companies like other ants. I caught one, and carried it home in the bend of a twig. It emitted a smell, immediately upon being caught, of the most offensive and loathsome kind. I put it into a tin case with some other live insects, but the smell was so offensive as to compel me to leave the room. In about an hour and a half I returned, and found all the other insects dead. The moment I opened the box, the ant again emitted the most offensive smell.
A thought struck me that instead of the ant destroying the other insects by violence (as I at first imagined) their death might have been the result of the poisonous effluvia emitted by this peculiar ant. I determined, consequently, upon making another trial, and, having caught several of these insects, amongst which was the large white-winged ant, with several varieties of beetles, I took the precaution to fix a partition in the box, that neither party could use violence towards the other. On re-opening the box, which was perforated with small air-holes, all the others were apparently dead. I took out all but the ant. One peculiar sort of beetle seemed to recover a little after being put in a current of fresh air, but ultimately that died also. I afterwards caught another ant, and held it near a dog’s nose, upon which the poor animal struggled and howled. I tried to hold it near my horse’s nose, but he also rejected it with bitter determination. I left both ants alive in the box of bamboo, on my bedroom table, and although well ventilated, I awoke quite sick at the stomach. I then took some medicine, and put the ants to death.
To some this statement may seem exaggerated, but those who may be incredulous I would refer to Governor Maclean, late of Cape Coast, and long an African resident. His veracity is not to be doubted; or I would refer to any of the British merchants of our settlements on the African coast.
This species of ant builds hills from twelve to fifteen feet high, and displays wonderful skill in architecture, both as regards durability and protection against foul weather. It has a peculiar method of hardening the mud of which it builds its house, rendering it equal in hardness to cement: these houses are of a spiral form. This ant is armed with two large horizontal fangs, with which he secures his prey, then bites with his teeth perpendicularly to the fangs; these, aided by a sharp sting, render him (independently of his poisonous odour) a formidable enemy. Another large ant, though of less magnitude and without the offensive smell, is also found in this country, and is probably as dangerous as the former, on account of its travelling in large armies.
I remember shooting a pigeon near Cape Coast, which fell on one of their paths. Before I reached the spot, which was not more than two minutes, they had commenced an attack in hundreds on the poor pigeon, who was yet struggling to beat them off. I was myself attacked, and was actually compelled to strip myself naked on the road, to clear my person of them.
Mr. Hanson, of Accra, informs me of a similar attack made by these ants upon himself and horse, and declares that they would have killed the latter had he not had the presence of mind to throw numerous buckets of water over the poor animal, and dash water up his nostrils, which were literally filled with them. These ants display still more taste in their mode of building, and seem to prefer the Gothic style of architecture. They first build an upright shaft about three feet, then at intervals of about six inches build circular apartments, each formed conically round the shaft, very much like a large bason turned upside down; the shaft resembling a large stick run through the centre of half a dozen basons. The top apartment terminates in a spiral cone or pyramid, and is consequently quite waterproof. From their skill in hardening the clay, the space between each floor or apartment forms a convenient gallery, where they exercise in bad weather. These apartments are all honey-combed, and have a passage, or rather several staircases, from the lower to the upper apartment through the main shaft.
I ought first, however, to have said something of the higher animals. Oxen are not so numerous here as in Whydah, no attention being paid to the breeding; nor are sheep or goats so numerous as in other parts of this country. The Portuguese and Spaniards are the principal parties who hold any stock, consequently the breed of oxen is much inferior in size to those I have observed in many other places on this coast. Sheep and goats are better bred than oxen; but horses are not at all bred here. Some of the Portuguese and Spaniards have small horses, brought from Badagry and Abomey. Neither the ox nor horse is used for agricultural purposes, although the soil is so well calculated for the plough, being very level, and without a stone even of the smallest size. The wild ox is abundant in the bush near this place, as is also a species of deer, both black and red. The head is broader and thicker, and its legs less graceful than those of the red deer, which is lighter, and very much resembles our small deer in England.
Swine are very superior in this place, being almost equal to those of England. Wild carnivorous animals abound in the bush in this neighbourhood, particularly the patakoo, or large hyæna, the panther, bush-cat, and small wolf.
Fowls are plentiful here, and some are very large, owing to the breed being crossed by the large Portuguese fowl, which is brought over from the Brazils by the Portuguese slave-dealers. The Guinea fowl is found here also in great numbers, running wild in the neighbourhood.
I felt surprised at first to find this large settlement so destitute of mechanics. There is not, in fact, to be found here a mechanic capable of performing even the coarsest piece of workmanship, either in wood or iron. This, no doubt, is attributable to the extensive slave-trade formerly carried on here, preventing any attention being paid to other pursuits. The slave-trade was so profitable a speculation, that the merchants were enabled to bring everything necessary for their use from the Brazils. The slave-merchants have elegant houses, furnished in a handsome manner. The traffic in slaves, however, is now much reduced on this coast, owing to two causes; first, the vigilance of the English men-of-war in capturing so many slave-vessels; and, secondly, from the circumstance that the slave-dealers are obliged to pay for their slaves in cash, as the French and English factories established here are able to sell manufactured goods at twenty-five per cent. less than the Spaniards or Portuguese can possibly afford to do. This information I obtained from one of the most respectable slave-dealers in Whydah. He has only been two years in this trade, into which he embarked in consequence of having involved himself in difficulties through speculating in a business with which he was unacquainted in Madeira, of which island he is a native. He is, I am glad to find, disgusted with the trade.