timedmerrimenttoaclose。UnliketheirprudentEuropeancousins，whicharesaidtoleaveasinkingship，apartyofthesetookuptheirquartersinourleakyandsinkingvessel。Quietandinvisiblebyday，theyemergedatnight，andcuttheirfunnypranks。Nosoonerwereweallasleep，thantheymadeasuddendashoverthelockersandacrossourfacesforthecabindoor，whereallbrokeoutintoaloudHe!he!he!he!he!he!showinghowkeenlytheyenjoyedthejoke。
Theynextwentforwardwithasmuchdelight，andscamperedoverthemen。Everynighttheywentforeandaft，rousingwithimpartialfeeteverysleeper，andlaughingtoscorntheaimlessblows，growls，anddeadlyrushesofoutragedhumanity。Weobservedelsewhereaspeciesoflargemouse，nearlyalliedtoEuryotisunisulcatusF。Cuvier，escapinguparoughandnotveryuprightwall，withsixyoungonesfirmlyattachedtotheperineum。Theywereoldenoughtobewellcoveredwithhair，andsomewerenotdetachedbyablowwhichdisabledthedam。Wecouldnotdecidewhetheranyinvoluntarymuscleswerebroughtintoplayinhelpingtheyoungtoadhere。Theirweightseemedtorequireasortofcatalepticstateofthemusclesofthejaw，toenablethemtoholdon。
Scorpions，centipedes，andpoisonousspidersalsowerenotunfrequentlybroughtintotheshipwiththewood，andoccasionallyfoundtheirwayintoourbeds；butineveryinstancewewerefortunateenoughtodiscoveranddestroythembeforetheydidanyharm。Navalofficersonthiscoastreportthat，whenscorpionsandcentipedesremainafewweeksafterbeingtakenonboardinasimilarmanner，theirpoisonlosesnearlyallitsvirulence；butthiswedidnotverify。Snakessometimescameinwiththewood，butoftenerfloateddowntherivertous，climbingonboardwitheasebythechain-cable，andsomepoisonousoneswerecaughtinthecabin。A
greensnakelivedwithusseveralweeks，concealinghimselfbehindthecasingofthedeckhouseinthedaytime。Tobearousedinthedarkbyfivefeetofcoldgreensnakeglidingoverone\'sfaceisratherunpleasant，howeverrapidthemovementmaybe。Myriadsoftwovarietiesofcockroachesinfestedthevessel；theynotonlyateroundtherootsofournails，butevendevouredanddefiledourfood，flannels，andboots。Vainwerealloureffortstoextirpatethesedestructivepests；ifyoukillone，saythesailors，ahundredcomedowntohisfuneral!IntheworkofCommodoreOwenitisstatedthatcockroaches，poundedintoapaste，formapowerfulcarminative；thishasnotbeenconfirmed，butwhenmonkeysarefedonthemtheyaresuretobecomelean。
OncomingtoSenna，wefoundthattheZulushadarrivedinforcefortheirannualtribute。Thesemenareundergooddiscipline，andneverstealfromthepeople。Thetaxisclaimedonthegroundofconquest，theZulushavingformerlycompletelyovercometheSennapeople，andchasedthemontotheislandsintheZambesi。Fifty-fourofthePortuguesewereslainontheoccasion，and，notwithstandingthemudfort，thevillagehasneverrecovereditsformerpower。Feverwasnowveryprevalent，andmostofthePortugueseweredownwithit。