The Reconciliation--The Acquaintance of Jennie--The
Salutation--The Words for Food and Drink--Little Banquo, Dago,
McGinty, and others.
[Sidenote: ACQUAINTANCE OF JENNIE]
During a period of many weeks I visited Jokes almost daily, but after
the lapse of more than two months I had not won him back nor quieted his
suspicions against me. On my approach, he would manifest great fear and
go through the act of humiliation described above. I observed that he
entertained an intense hatred for a negro boy on the place, who teased
and vexed him on all occasions. I had the boy come near the cage, and
Jokes fairly raved with anger. I took a stick and pretended to beat the
boy, and this delighted Jokes very greatly. I held the boy near enough
to the cage to allow the monkey to scratch and pull his clothes, and
this would fill his little Simian soul with joy. I would then release
the boy, and to the evident pleasure of Jokes I would drive him away by
throwing wads of paper at him. I repeated this a number of times, and by
such means we again became the best of friends. After each encounter
with the boy, he would come up to the bars, touch my hand with his
tongue, chatter and play with my fingers, and show every sign of
confidence and friendship. He always warned me of the approach of any
one, and his conduct towards them was largely governed by my own. He
never failed, after this, to salute me with the sound described in the
first chapter. About the same time I paid a few visits to another little
monkey of the same species, named "Jennie." Her master had warned me in
advance that she was not well disposed towards strangers. At my request,
he had her chained in a small side yard which he forbade any of the
family entering. When I approached the little lady for the first time,
I gave her the usual salutation, which she responded to, and seemed to
understand. I unceremoniously sat down by her side and fed her from my
hands. She eyed me with evident interest and curiosity, while I studied
her every act and expression. During the process of this mutual
investigation, a negro girl who lived with the family, overcome by
curiosity, stealthily came into the yard and came up within a few feet
of us. I determined to sacrifice this girl upon the altar of science, so
I arose and placed her between the monkey and myself, and vigorously
sounded the alarm or menace. "Jennie" flew into a fury, while I
continued to sound the alarm and at the same time pretended to attack
the girl with a club and some paper wads, thus causing the monkey to
believe that the girl had uttered the alarm and made the assault. I then
drove the girl from the yard with a great show of violence, and for days
afterwards she could not feed or approach the little Simian. This
confirmed my opinion of the meaning of the sound, which can be fairly
imitated by placing the back of the hand gently on the mouth and kissing
it with great force, prolonging the sound for some seconds. This
imitation, however, is indifferent, and its quality is especially
noticeable when analysed on the phonograph. The pitch corresponds to the
highest "F" sharp on the piano, while the word "food" is four octaves
lower and the word "drink" three.
[Sidenote: THE GARDEN IN CINCINNATI]
On one occasion I visited the Garden in Cincinnati, and found in a cage
a small Capuchin, to whom I gave the name of Banquo. It was near night
and the visitors had left the house, and the little monkey, worried out
by the day's annoyance from visitors, sat quietly in the back of his
cage as though he was glad another day was done. I approached the cage
and uttered the sound which I have described and translated "drink." My
first effort caught his attention and caused him to turn and look at me.
He then arose and answered me with the same word, and came at once to
the front of the cage. He looked at me as if in doubt, and I repeated
the word. He responded with the same and turned to a small pan in his
cage, which he took up and placed near the door through which the keeper
usually passed his food, returned to me, and uttered the word again. I
asked the keeper for some milk, which he did not have, but brought me
some water instead. The efforts of my little Simian friend to secure the
glass were very earnest, and his pleading manner and tone assured me of
his extreme thirst. I allowed him to dip his hand into the glass, and he
would then lick the water from his fingers and reach again. I kept the
glass out of reach of his hand, and he would repeat the sound earnestly
and look at me beseechingly, as if to say, "Please give me some more." I
was thus convinced that the word which I had translated "milk" must also
mean "water," and from this and other tests I at last determined that
it meant "drink" in its broad sense, and possibly "thirst." It evidently
expressed his desire for something with which to allay his thirst. The
sound is very difficult to imitate, and quite impossible to write
exactly.
[Sidenote: IMITATING SOUNDS]
On one of my visits to the Chicago Garden, I stood with my side to a
cage containing a small Capuchin and gave the sound which I had
translated "milk." It caused him to turn and look at me, and on
repeating the sound a few times, he answered me very distinctly with the
same, picking up the pan from which he usually drank; and as I repeated
the word, he brought the pan to the front of the cage, set it down, and
came up to the bars and uttered the word distinctly. I had not shown him
any milk or any kind of food, but the man in charge, at my request,
brought me some milk, which I gave to him. He drank it with great
delight, then looked at me and held up his pan, repeating the sound. I
am quite sure that he used the same sound each time that he wanted
milk. During this same visit, I tried many experiments with the word
which I am now convinced means "food" or "hunger." And I was led to the
belief that he used the same word for apple, carrot, bread and banana;
but a few later experiments have led me to modify this view in a
measure, since the phonograph shows me slight variations of the sound,
and I now think it probable that these faint inflections may possibly
indicate a difference in the kinds of food he has in mind. However, they
usually recognise this sound, even when poorly imitated. I am impressed
with the firm belief that in this word I have found the clue to the
great secret of speech; and while I have taken only one short step in
the direction of its solution, I have pointed out the way which leads to
it.
[Sidenote: BROWN CAPUCHINS]
In the fall of 1891, I visited New York for the purpose of experimenting
with the monkeys in Central Park. Early one morning I repaired to the
monkey-house, and for the first time approached a cage containing five
brown Capuchins, whom I saluted with the word which I have translated
"food," and which seems to be an "open-sesame" to the hearts of all
monkeys of this species. On delivering this word, one of them responded
promptly and came to the front of the cage. I repeated it two or three
times and the remaining four came to the front, and as I thrust my
fingers through the bars of the cage, they took hold of them and began
playing with great familiarity and apparent pleasure. They seemed to
recognise the sound, and to realise that it had been delivered to them
by myself. Whether they regarded me as a great ape, monkey, or some
other kind of animal speaking their tongue, I do not know. But they
evidently understood the sound, though up to this time I had shown them
no food or water. A little later I secured some apples and carrots, and
gave them in small bits in response to their continual requests for
food, and this further confirmed my belief that I had translated the
word correctly. This was gratifying to me in view of the fact that I
was accompanied by two gentlemen who had been permitted to witness the
experiment, and it was evident to them that the monkeys understood the
sound. I placed the phonograph in order and made a record of the sound,
which I preserved for study. After an absence of some days, I returned
to the Park and went to the monkey-house. They recognised me as I
entered the door, notwithstanding there were many visitors present. They
began begging me to come to their cage, which I did, and gave them my
hand to play with. One of them in particular, whose name is "McGinty,"
showed every sign of pleasure at my visit; he would play with my
fingers, hug them, and caress them in the most affectionate manner.
Another occupant of the same cage had shown a disposition to become
friendly with me, and on this occasion came bravely to the bars of the
cage and showed a desire to share the pleasure of my visit with his
little Simian brother. But this was denied him on any terms by
"McGinty," who pounced upon him and drove him away, as he also did the
other monkeys in the cage in order to monopolise my entire society
himself. He refused to allow any other inmate of the cage to receive my
caresses or any part of the food that I had brought them. I spent the
past winter in Washington and New York, much of the time in company with
these little creatures, and have made many novel and curious
experiments, some of which have resulted in surprises to myself.
[Sidenote: MONKEYS CAN COUNT] Among the facts which I have obtained, I
may state that certain monkeys can count three; that they discern values
by quantity and by number; that they have favourite colours, and are
pleased with some musical sounds. And I shall explain how I arrived at
some of these conclusions, in order that I may not be supposed to have
merely guessed at them.