Formed like man, and practicing similar gestures, but with thumbs
instead of great toes upon their feet, and with so narrow a heel-bone,
that even those who constantly walk upright have not the firm and
dignified step of human beings; the Quadrumana yet approximate so
closely to us, that they demand the first place in a book devoted
principally to the intellectual (whether it be reason or instinct)
history of animals. This approximation is a matter of amusement to some;
but to the larger portion of mankind, I should say, it is a source of
disgust. "Rapoynda," I exclaimed, one day, to a troublesome,
inquisitive, restless negro, pointing to a black monkey, which much
resembled him in character, "that is your brother." Never shall I forget
the malignant scowl which passed over the man's features at my heedless
comparison. No apology, no kindness, not even the gift of a smart
waistcoat, which he greatly coveted, ever restored me to his good
graces; and I was not sorry when his Chief summoned him from my
vicinity, for I dreaded his revenge.
A few years after, I stood lost in admiration before Sir Edwin
Landseer's inimitable picture of "the monkey who had seen the world," in
which nature and truth lend their tone and force to the highest efforts
of art; when a voice exclaimed, "How can you waste your time looking at
that thing; such creatures ought never to have been painted;" and
although the speaker was a religious man, he muttered to himself, "I am
not sure they ought ever to have been made." The voice proceeded from
one of the finest instances of manly beauty; one famed also for talent
and acquirement. Rapoynda started into my recollection; and as I slowly
left the talented picture, I could not help smiling at the common
feeling between the savage and the gentleman, thereby proving its
universality.
Never did any one start for a tropical climate with a greater antipathy
towards these "wild men" than I did; I lived years in their vicinity and
yet contrived to avoid all contact with them, and it was not till I was
homeward-bound that my conversion was effected. The ship in which Mr.
Bowdich and myself took a round-about course to England, was floating
on a wide expanse of water, disturbed only by the heavy swell, which
forms the sole motion in a calm; the watch on deck were seated near the
bows of the vessel, the passengers and officers were almost all below,
there was only myself and the helmsman on the after-deck; he stood
listlessly by the binnacle, and I was wholly occupied in reading. A
noise between a squeak and a chatter suddenly met my ears; and before I
could turn my head to see whence it proceeded, a heavy, living creature
jumped on to my shoulders from behind, and its tail encircled my throat.
I felt it was Jack, the cook's monkey; the mischievous, malicious,
mocking, but inimitable Jack, whose pranks had often made me laugh
against my will, as I watched him from a distance, but with whom I had
never made the least acquaintance. Whether from fear or presence of mind
I do not pretend to say, but I remained perfectly still, and in a minute
or two Jack put his head forward and stared me in the face, uttering a
sort of croak; he then descended on to my knees, examined my hands as if
he were counting my fingers, tried to take off my rings, and when I gave
him some biscuit, curled himself compactly into my lap. We were friends
from that moment. My aversion thus cured, I have ever since felt
indescribable interest and entertainment in watching, studying, and
protecting monkeys. We had several on board the above-mentioned vessel,
but Jack was the prince of them all.
Exclusively belonging to the cook, although a favourite with the whole
crew, my friend (a Cercopithecus from Senegal) had been at first kept by
means of a cord, attached to the caboose; but, as he became more and
more tame, his liberty was extended, till at last he was allowed the
whole range of the ship, with the exception of the captain's and
passengers' cabins. The occupations which he marked out for himself
began at early dawn, by overturning the steward's parrot-cage whenever
he could get at it, in order to secure the lump of sugar which then
rolled out, or lick up the water which ran from the upset cup; he
evidently intended to pull the parrot's feathers, but the latter, by
turning round as fast as Jack turned, always faced him, and his beak was
too formidable to be encountered. I was frequently awakened by the quick
trampling of feet at this early hour, and knew it arose from a pursuit
of Jack, in consequence of some mischief on his part. Like all other
nautical monkeys, he descended into the forecastle, where he twisted off
the night-caps of the sailors as they lay in their hammocks, stole their
knives, tools, etc., and if they were not very active in the pursuit,
these purloinings were thrown overboard.
When the preparations for breakfast began, Jack took his post in a
corner near the grate, and when the cook's back was turned, hooked out
the pieces of biscuit which were toasting between the bars for the men,
and snatched the bunches of dried herbs, with which they tried to
imitate tea, out of the tin mugs. He sometimes scalded or burnt his
fingers by these tricks, which kept him quiet for a few days; but no
sooner was the pain gone than he repeated the mischief.
Two days in each week, the pigs, which formed part of our live stock,
were allowed to run about the deck for exercise, and then Jack was
particularly happy: hiding himself behind a cask, he would suddenly
spring on to the back of one of them, his face to the tail, and away
scampered his frightened steed. Sometimes an obstacle would impede the
gallop, and then Jack, loosening the hold which he had acquired by
digging his nails into the skin of the pig, industriously tried to
uncurl its tail, and if he were saluted by a laugh from some one near
by, he would look up with an assumed air of wonder, as much as to say;
What can you find to laugh at? When the pigs were shut up, he thought it
his turn to give others a ride, and there were three little monkeys,
with red skins and blue faces, whom he particularly favored: I
frequently met him with all of them on his back at the same time,
squeaking and huddling together, and with difficulty preserving their
seat; when he suddenly stopped, and seemed to ask me to praise the
good-natured action which he was performing. He was, however, jealous
of all those of his brethren who came in contact with me, and freed
himself from two of his rivals by throwing them into the sea. One of
them was a small Lion monkey, of great beauty and extreme gentleness,
and immediately after I had been feeding him, Jack called him with a
coaxing, patronizing air; but as soon as he was within reach, the
perfidious creature seized him by the nape of his neck, and, as quick as
thought, popped him over the side of the ship. We were going at a brisk
rate, and although a rope was thrown out to him, the poor little
screaming thing was soon left behind, very much to my distress, for his
almost human agony of countenance was painful to behold. For this, Jack
was punished by being shut up all day in the empty hen-coop, in which he
usually passed the night, and which he so hated, that when bed-time
came, he generally avoided the clutches of the steward; he, however,
committed so much mischief when unwatched, that it had become necessary
to confine him at night, and I was often obliged to perform the office
of nursemaid. Jack's principal punishment, however, was to be taken in
front of the cage in which a panther belonging to me was placed, in the
fore part of the deck. His alarm was intense; the panther set up his
back and growled, but Jack instantly closed his eyes, and made himself
perfectly rigid. I generally held him up by the tail, and if I moved,
he cautiously opened one eye; but if he caught sight of even a corner of
the cage, he shut it fast, and again pretended to be dead. His drollest
trick was practised on a poor little black monkey; taking the
opportunity when a calm, similar to that spoken of above, left him
nearly the sole possessor of the deck. I do not know that he saw me, for
I was sitting behind the companion door. The men had been painting the
ship outside, and were putting a broad band of white upon her, when they
went to dinner below, leaving their paint and brushes on the upper deck.
Jack enticed his victim to him, who meekly obeyed the summons; and,
seizing him with one hand, he, with the other, took the brush, and
covered him with the white fluid from head to foot. The laugh of the man
at the helm called my attention to the circumstance, and as soon as Jack
perceived he was discovered, he dropped his dripping brother, and
rapidly scampered up the rigging, till he gained the main-top, where he
stood with his nose between the bars, looking at what was going on
below. As the other monkey began to lick himself, I called up the
steward, who washed him clean with turpentine, and no harm ensued; but
Jack was afraid to come down, and only after three days passed in his
elevated place of refuge did hunger compel him to descend. He chose the
moment when I was sitting on deck, and, swinging himself by a rope, he
dropped suddenly into my lap, looking so imploringly at me for pardon,
that I not only forgave him myself, but procured his absolution from
others. Jack and I parted a little to the south of the Sicily Islands,
after five month's companionship, and never met again; but I was told
that he was much distressed at my absence, hunted for me all over the
vessel in the most disconsolate manner, even venturing into my cabin;
nor was he reconciled to the loss of me when the ship's company parted
in the London docks.
Another monkey, of the same species as Jack, was trained by a man in
Paris to perform a multitude of clever tricks. I met him one day
suddenly as he was coming up the drawing-room stairs. He made way for me
by standing in an angle, and when I said, "Good morning," took off his
cap, and made me a low bow. "Are you going away?" I asked; "where is
your passport?" Upon which he took from the same cap a square piece of
paper which he opened, and shewed to me. His master told him my gown was
dusty, and he instantly took a small brush from his master's pocket,
raised the hem of my dress, cleaned it, and then did the same for my
shoes. He was perfectly docile and obedient; when we gave him something
to eat, he did not cram his pouches with it, but delicately and tidily
devoured it; and when we bestowed money on him, he immediately put it
into his master's hands.
Much more accomplished monkeys than those of which I have spoken, have
been known to act plays, and to assume the characters they have
undertaken, with a spirit and aptitude which might tempt us to suppose
that they were perfectly cognizant of every bearing of their different
parts; and their stratagems to procure food, and defend themselves, are
only equalled by human beings.
Denizens of those mighty forests, which clothe the earth between the
tropics of both the Old and New World, assembling by hundreds in those
lands where the Palm, the Banyan, the Baobab, the Bombax, and thousands
of magnificent trees adorn the soil; where the most delicious fruits are
to be procured, by merely stretching out the hand to separate them from
their parent stem; no wonder that both apes and monkeys there
congregate, and strike the European, on his first arrival among them,
with astonishment. I had seen many at Cape Coast; but not till I
advanced into the forest up the windings of the river Gaboon, could I
form any idea of their multitude, or of the various habits which
characterize their savage lives. The first time the reality burst upon
me, was in going up a creek of that river to reach the town of Naängo
when the most deafening screams were to be heard over head, mixed with
squeaks and sundry strange noises. These proceeded from red and grey
parrots, which were pursued to the tops of the tallest trees by the
monkeys. The birds were not frightened; on the contrary, they appeared
to enjoy the fun, and perching on slight twigs, which would not bear the
weight of their playfellows, they stretched out their wings, and seemed
vociferously to exclaim, "You can't catch me!" Sometimes, however, they
_were_ surprised, and then there was such a scuffle and noise. The
four-handed beast, however, plucked the red feathers from the tail of
the bird; and careless of its anger, seated himself on a branch, sucking
the quills till they were dry, when he started for a fresh supply.
That monkeys enjoy movement, that they delight in pilfering, in
outwitting each other and their higher brethren--men; that they glory in
tearing and destroying the works of art by which they are surrounded in
a domestic state; that they lay the most artful plans to effect their
purposes, is all perfectly true; but the terms _mirthful_ and _merry_,
seem to me to be totally misapplied, in reference to their feelings and
actions; for they do all in solemnity and seriousness. Do you stand
under a tree, whose thick foliage completely screens you from the sun,
and you hope to enjoy perfect shade and repose; a slight rustling proves
that companions are near; presently a broken twig drops upon you, then
another, you raise your eyes, and find that hundreds of other eyes are
staring at you. In another minute you see the grotesque faces to which
those eyes belong, making grimaces, as you suppose, but it is no such
thing, they are solemnly contemplating the intruder; they are not
pelting him in play, it is their business to drive him from their
domain. Raise your arm, the boughs shake, the chattering begins, and the
sooner you decamp; the more you will shew your discretion.
Watch the ape or monkey with which you come into closer contact; does he
pick up a blade of grass, he will examine it with as much attention as
if he were determining the value of a precious stone. Do you put food
before him, he tucks it into his mouth as fast as possible, and when his
cheek pouches are so full that they cannot hold any more, he looks at
you as if he seriously asked your approval of his laying up stores for
the future. If he destroy the most valuable piece of glass or china in
your possession, he does not look as if he enjoyed the mischief, but
either puts on an impudent air, as much as to say, "I don't care," or
calmly tries to let you know he thought it his duty to destroy your
property. Savage, violent and noisy are they when irritated or
disappointed, and long do they retain the recollection of an affront. I
once annoyed a monkey in the collection of the Jardin des Plantes, in
Paris, by preventing him from purloining the food of one of his
companions; in doing which I gave him a knock upon his paws. It was
lucky that strong wires were between us, or he would probably have hurt
me severely in his rage; he shook the cage, he rolled about and
screamed, and did not forget the offence. On future occasions, the
instant he heard my voice, he put himself into a passion: and several
months after, although I had been absent the whole time, he seized on my
gown while I incautiously stood too near to him, dragged a portion of it
within the bars, and bit a great piece out of it, although it was made
of a very strong material.
A monkey, of I know not what species, was domiciled in a family in
Yorkshire to whom my mother was paying a visit of some days. A large
dinner-party was given in honor of the guest, the master of the house
helped the soup; but as he was talking at the time, he did not observe
its appearance. Presently all to whom it had been served, laid down
their spoons, or sent their plates away. This of course attracted
attention, and on inspection, the liquid was discovered to be full of
short hairs. The servants in attendance were questioned, but they
declared they were ignorant of the cause; and the wisest and politest
proceeding was, to send the tureen from the table, and, serving the
fish, make no further comment. The mistress of the family, however, when
the ladies left the dining-room, slipped away from her friends, and
summoning the cook to her presence, received an explanation of the
mystery. The woman said, she had left the kitchen only for one minute,
and when she returned, she saw the monkey standing on the hob of the
kitchen grate, with one fore-paw resting on the lid of the boiler which
contained the soup. "Oh, Mr. Curiosity," she exclaimed, "that is too
much for you, you can't lift that up." To her horror and amazement,
however, he _had_ lifted it up, and was putting it on again after
popping the kitten in, whose remains were discovered at the bottom when
the soup was strained. The poor cook was so bewildered, that she did not
know what to do: it was time for the dinner to be served, and she,
therefore, for the look's sake, thought it best to send the soup in as
it was, even if it were sent out again immediately, "because you know
ma'am," said she, "that would prove you had ordered it. I always thought
the monkey would do the kitten a mischief, he was so jealous of it, and
hated it so because it scratched him, so he seized it when asleep."
A much better disposed monkey belonged to my eldest daughter; and we
brought him to England from the Gambia. He seemed to know that he could
master the child, and did not hesitate to bite and scratch her whenever
she pulled him a little harder than he thought proper. I punished him
for each offence, yet fed and caressed him when good; by which means I
possessed an entire ascendancy over him. He was very wretched in London
lodgings, where I was obliged to fasten him to the bars of a stove, and
where he had no fresh air; and he was no sooner let loose than he tried
to break everything within his reach; so I persuaded his young mistress
to present him to the Jardin des Plantes. I took him there; and during
my stay in that place paid him daily visits. When these were
discontinued, the keeper told me that he incessantly watched for my
return, and it was long before he recovered his disappointment, and made
friends with his companions in the same cage. Two years after, I again
went to see him; and when I stood before him and said, "Mac, do you know
me?" he gave a scream of delight, put both his paws beyond the bars,
stretched them out to me, held his head down to be caressed, uttering a
low murmur, and giving every sign of delighted recognition.
The most melancholy of all monkeys is, apparently, the Chimpanzee; and
although he has perhaps evinced more power of imitating man than any
other, he performs all he does with a sad look, frequently accompanied
by petulance, and occasional bursts of fury. One of the smaller species,
such as those which at different times have been brought to England and
Paris, was offered to Mr. Bowdich for purchase, while our ship lay in
the river Gaboon. His owner left him with us for four weeks, during
which time I had an opportunity of watching his habits. He would not
associate with any other of the tribe, not even the irresistible Jack;
but was becoming reconciled to me, when one unlucky day I checked his
dawning partiality. He followed me to the Panther's cage, and I shall
never forget the fearful yell which he uttered. He fled as swiftly as
possible, overturning men and boys in his way, with a strength little to
be expected from his size, nor did he stop till he had thrust himself
into a boat sail on the after-deck, with which he entirely covered
himself, and which was thenceforward his favourite abode. It was several
days before I could reinstate myself in his good opinion, for he
evidently thought I had had something to do with the panther. The latter
had been in such a fury, that the sailors thought he would have broken
his cage; and he continued restless and watchful for hours afterwards,
proving that the chimpanzee is found in his country of Ashanti, further
to the north than we had imagined. We did not buy the animal, on account
of the exorbitant sum asked for him, and the risk of his living during a
long voyage. He was always very sad, but very gentle; and his attachment
to his master was very great, clinging to him like a child, and going
joyfully away in his arms. Of those kept in the Zoological gardens of
England and Paris, many anecdotes have been related, evincing great
intelligence. One of the latter used to sit in a chair, lock and unlock
his door, drink tea with a spoon, eat with a knife and fork, set out
his own dinner, cry when left alone, and delight in being apparently
considered one of his keeper's family.
It is in equatorial Africa that the most powerful of all the Quadrumana
live, far exceeding the Oran Outang, and even the Pongo of Borneo. Mr.
Bowdich and myself were the first to revive and confirm a long
forgotten, and vague report of the existence of such a creature, and
many thought, as we ourselves had not seen it, that we had been deceived
by the natives. They assured us that these huge creatures walk
constantly on their hind feet, and never yet were taken alive; that they
watch the actions of men, and imitate them as nearly as possible. Like
the ivory hunters, they pick up the fallen tusks of elephants, but not
knowing where to deposit them, they carry their burthens about till they
themselves drop, and even die from fatigue: that they build huts nearly
in the shape of those of men, but live on the outside; and that when one
of their children dies, the mother carries it in her arms till it falls
to pieces; that one blow of their paw will kill a man, and that nothing
can exceed their ferocity.
A male and female, of an enormous species of chimpanzee, were brought to
Bristol by the master of a vessel coming from the river Gaboon, he had
been commissioned to bring them alive, but as this was impracticable,
he put the male into a puncheon of rum, and the female into a cask of
strong brine, after they had been shot. The person who had ordered,
refused to take them, and Professor Owen secured them for the College of
Surgeons. The flesh of that in salt and water fell from the bones, but
it was possible to set the other up so as to have his portrait taken,
which likeness is now in the museum of the college. The rum had so
destroyed the hair, that he could not be stuffed, he was between four
and five feet high, his enormous nails, amounting to claws, were well
adapted for digging roots, and his huge, strong teeth, must have made
him a formidable antagonist. There could not be any thing much more
hideous than his appearance, even when allowances were made for the
disfiguring effects of the spirit in which he had been preserved. He was
entirely covered with hair, and not wrinkled and bare in front like the
smaller Chimpanzee; and it was for some time supposed, that this was the
Ingheena reported by Mr. Bowdich. Since then, however, some skulls have
been sent to England from the same locality, of much larger proportions,
betokening an almost marvellous size and strength; and these probably,
belonged to the real Ingheena. They go about in pairs; and it is evident
from their enormous teeth, that, as they are not flesh-eating animals,
these weapons must have been given to them as means of defence against
the most powerful enemies; in fact, against each other.
I now come from my own knowledge and personal experience to those of
others, and I cannot begin with a more interesting account than that
given by Mr. Bennett of the Ungka Ape, or Gibbon of Sumatra, the Simia
Syndactyla of naturalists. He stood two feet high when on his hind legs,
and was covered with black hair, except on the face, the skin of which
was also black; the legs were short in proportion to the body and arms,
the latter being exceedingly long. His only pouch was under the throat,
the use of which was not apparent, for he did not make it a reservoir
for food. He uttered a squeaking or chirping note when pleased, a hollow
bark when irritated, and when frightened or angry he loudly called out
"Ra, ra, ra." He was as grave as the rest of his tribe, but not equally
mischievous; he, however, frequently purloined the ink, sucking the
pens, and drinking the liquid whenever he could get at it. He soon knew
his name, and readily went to those who called him. The chief object of
his attachment was a Papuan child; and he would sit with one of his long
arms round her neck, share his biscuit with her, run from or after her
in play, roll on the deck, entwining his arms around her, pretend to
bite, swing himself away by means of a rope, and then drop suddenly upon
her, with many other frolics of a childish character. If, however, she
tried to make him play when he was not inclined to do so, he would
gently warn her by a bite, that he would not suffer her to take any
liberties. He made advances to several small monkeys, but they always
drew themselves up into an opposing force, and he, to punish their
impertinence, seized hold of their tails, and pulled them till the
squeaking owners contrived to escape, or he dragged them along by these
appendages up the rigging, and then suddenly let them go, he all the
time preserving the utmost gravity.
When the hour came for the passengers' dinner he took his station near
the table, and, if laughed at while eating, barked, inflated his pouch,
and looked at those who ridiculed him in the most serious manner till
they had finished, when he quietly resumed his own meal. This is often
done by others of his race, and some seem to inquire what you see to
laugh at, while others fly into a passion when such an affront is
offered.
Ungka greatly disliked being left alone, and when refused anything which
he wished for, rolled upon the deck, threw his arms and legs about, and
dashed every thing down which came within his reach, incessantly
uttering "Ra, ra, ra." He had a great fancy for a certain piece of soap,
but was always scolded when he tried to take it away. One day, when he
thought Mr. Bennett was too busy to observe him, he walked off with it,
casting glances round to see if he were observed. When he had gone half
the length of the cabin, Mr. Bennett gently called him; and he was so
conscience-stricken that he immediately returned the soap to its place,
evidently knowing he had done wrong. He was very fond of sweetmeats; but
although good friends with those who gave them to him, he would not
suffer them to take him in their arms, only allowing two persons to use
that familiarity, and particularly avoiding large whiskers. He felt the
cold extremely as he proceeded on his voyage, was attacked with
dysentery, and died as he came into a northern latitude.
A female Gibbon was for some time exhibited in London, whose rapid and
enormous springs verified the account given of her brethren by M.
Duvaueel, who said that he had seen one of these animals clear a space
of forty feet, receiving an impetus by merely touching the branch of a
tree, and catching fruit as she sprang: the one in England could stop
herself in the most sudden manner, and calculate her distances with
surprising accuracy. She uttered a cry of half tones, and ended with a
deafening shake, which was not unmusical. She made a chirping cry in the
morning, supposed to be the call for her companions, beginning slowly,
and ending by two barks, which sounded like the tenor E and its octave,
at which time the poor thing became evidently agitated. She was,
generally speaking, very gentle, and much preferred ladies to gentlemen;
but if her confidence had been once acquired, she seemed to place as
much reliance on a man as she bestowed unsolicited on a woman.
Monkeys in India are more or less objects of superstitious reverence,
and are, consequently, seldom, or ever destroyed. In some places they
are even fed, encouraged, and allowed to live on the roofs of the
houses. If a man wish to revenge himself for any injury committed upon
him, he has only to sprinkle some rice or corn upon the top of his
enemy's house, or granary, just before the rains set in, and the monkeys
will assemble upon it, eat all they can find outside, and then pull off
the tiles to get at that which falls through the crevices. This, of
course, gives access to the torrents which fall in such countries, and
house, furniture, and stores are all ruined.
The large Banyan trees of the Old World are the favourite resorts of
monkeys and snakes; and the former when they find one of the latter
asleep, seize it by the neck, scramble from their branch, and dash the
reptile's head against a stone, all the time grinning with rage.
The Budeng of Java (Semnopithecus Maurus) abounds in the forests of that
island, and flies from the presence of man, uttering the most fearful
screams, and using the most violent gestures; but this is not a
frequent antipathy, and there is an amusing account of the familiarity
which monkeys assume with men, written by a traveller, who, probably,
was not a naturalist, for he does not give the technical appellation of
any of the species with which he meets in India. From what he says,
however, I should suppose some of his heroes to be the same as the
Macacus Rhesus. He expresses his surprise, when he sees monkeys "at
home," for the first time, as being so different to the individuals on
the tops of organs, or in the menageries of Europe. Their air of
self-possession, comprehension, and right to the soil on which they live
is most amusing. From thirty to forty seated themselves to look at his
advancing palanquin and bearers, just as villagers watch the strange
arrival going to "the squire's," and mingled with the inhabitants,
jostling the naked children, and stretching themselves at full length
close to the seated human groups, with the most perfect freedom. This
freedom often amounts to impudence; and they frequent the tops of
bazaars, in order to steal all they can lay their hands upon below. The
only way to keep them off, is to cover the roof with a prickly shrub,
the thorns of which stick to the flesh like fishhooks. The above
mentioned traveller watched one, which he calls a _bandar_, and which
took his station opposite to a sweetmeat shop. He pretended to be
asleep, but every now and then softly raised his head to look at the
tempting piles and the owner of them, who sat smoking his pipe without
symptoms even of a dose. In half an hour the monkey got up, as if he
were just awake, yawned, stretched himself, and took another position a
few yards off, where he pretended to play with his tail, occasionally
looking over his shoulder at the coveted delicacies. At length the
shop-man gave signs of activity, and the bandar was on the alert; the man
went to his back room, the bandar cleared the street at one bound, and
in an instant stuffed his pouches full of the delicious morsels. He had,
however, overlooked some hornets, which were regaling themselves at the
same time. They resented his disturbance, and the tormented bandar, in
his hurry to escape, came upon a thorn-covered roof, where he lay,
stung, torn, and bleeding. He spurted the stolen bon-bons from his
pouches, and barking hoarsely, looked the picture of misery. The noise
of the tiles which he had dislodged in his retreat brought out the
inhabitants, and among them the vendor of sweets, with his turban
unwound, and streaming two yards behind him. All joined in laughing at
the wretched monkey; but their religious reverence for him induced them
to go to his assistance; they picked out his thorns, and he limped away
to the woods quite crestfallen.
The traveller came in constant contact with monkeys in his occupations
of clearing land and planting, and at first, as he lay still among the
brushwood, they gamboled round him as they would round the natives.
This peaceable state of things, however, did not last, when he
established a field of sugar-canes in the newly-cleared jungle. He tells
the story so well, that I must be allowed to use his own expressions:--
"Every beast of the field seemed leagued against this devoted patch of
sugar-cane. The wild elephants came, and browsed in it; the jungle hogs
rooted it up, and munched it at their leisure; the jackals gnawed the
stalks into squash; and the wild deer ate the tops of the young plants.
Against all these marauders there was an obvious remedy--to build a
stout fence round the cane field. This was done accordingly, and a deep
trench dug outside, that even the wild elephant did not deem it prudent
to cross.
"The wild hogs came and inspected the trench and the palisades beyond. A
bristly old tusker was observed taking a survey of the defenses; but,
after mature deliberation, he gave two short grunts, the porcine
(language), I imagined, for 'No go,' and took himself off at a round
trot, to pay a visit to my neighbour Ram Chunder, and inquire how his
little plot of sweet yams was coming on. The jackals sniffed at every
crevice, and determined to wait a bit; but the monkeys laughed the whole
intrenchment to scorn. Day after day was I doomed to behold my canes
devoured, as fast as they ripened, by troops of jubilant monkeys. It was
of no use attempting to drive them away. When disturbed, they merely
retreated to the nearest tree, dragging whole stalks of sugar-cane along
with them, and then spurted the chewed fragments in my face, as I looked
up at them. This was adding insult to injury, and I positively began to
grow blood-thirsty at the idea of being outwitted by monkeys. The case
between us might have been stated in this way.
"'I have, at much trouble and expense, cleared and cultivated this
jungle land,' said I.
"'More fool you,' said the monkeys.
"'I have planted and watched over these sugar-canes.'
"'Watched! ah, ha! so have we for the matter of that.'
"'But, surely I have a right to reap what I sowed?'
"'Don't see it,' said the monkeys; 'the jungle, by rights prescriptive
and indefensible, is ours, and has been so ever since the days of Ram
Honuman of the long tail. If you cultivate the jungle without our
consent you must look to the consequences. If you don't like our
customs, you may get about your business. We don't want you.'
"I kept brooding over this mortifying view of the matter, until one
morning I hatched revenge in a practicable shape. A tree, with about a
score of monkeys on it, was cut down, and half-a-dozen of the youngest
were caught as they attempted to escape. A large pot of _ghow_ (treacle)
was then mixed with as much tartar emetic as could be spared from the
medicine chest, and the young hopefuls, after being carefully painted
over with the compound, were allowed to return to their distressed
relatives, who, as soon as they arrived, gathered round them, and
commenced licking them with the greatest assiduity. The results I had
anticipated were not long in making their appearance. A more melancholy
sight it was impossible to behold; but so efficacious was this
treatment, that for more than two years I hardly ever saw a monkey in
the neighbourhood."
When we read of the numbers, the intelligence, and the audacity of
monkeys in this part of the world, it becomes a matter of curious
speculation as to how they will behave when the railroad is made across
India.
It has been frequently observed, that there is nothing more distressing
than to see a wounded or suffering monkey. He lays his hand upon the
part affected, and looks up in your face, as if appealing to your kindly
feelings; and if blood flow, he views it with so frightened an
expression, that he seems to know his life is going from him. An
inquisitive monkey, among the numerous company which sailed in a ship,
always seemed desirous of ascertaining the nature of everything around
him, and touched, tasted, and closely scrutinized every object to which
he had not been accustomed. A pot of scalding pitch was in use for
caulking the seams of the upper deck, and when those who were employed
in laying it upon the planks turned their heads from him, he dipped one
paw into it, and carrying it to his chin, rubbed himself with the
destructive substance. His yell of pain called the attention of the
sailors to him, and they did all in their power to afford alleviation;
the pitch was taken off as well as it could be, his pouches being
entirely burnt away, his poor cheeks were wrapped up with rags steeped
in turpentine; and his scalded hand was bandaged in the same manner. He
was a piteous sight, and seemed to look on all who came near, as if
asking for their commiseration. He was very gentle and very sad,
submitted to be fed with sugar and water through a tube, but after a few
days he laid his head down and expired.
Mr. Forbes tells a story of a female monkey, (the Semnopithecus
Entellus), who was shot by a friend of his, and carried to his tent.
Forty or fifty of her tribe advanced with menacing gestures, but stood
still when the gentleman presented his gun at them. One, however, who
appeared to be the chief of the tribe, came forward, chattering and
threatening in a furious manner. Nothing short of firing at him seemed
likely to drive him away; but at length he approached the tent door with
every sign of grief and supplication, as if he were begging for the
body. It was given to him, he took it in his arms, carried it away, with
actions expressive of affection, to his companions, and with them
disappeared. It was not to be wondered at that the sportsman vowed never
to shoot another monkey.
Monkeys are eaten in some parts of the Old World, and universally in
South America. M. Bonpland speaks of the flesh as lean, hard and dry;
but that which I tasted in Africa, was white, juicy, and like chicken.
Mr. Bowdich had monkeys served whole before him at the table of the king
of Ashanti, having been roasted in a sitting posture, and he said,
nothing could be more horrid or repugnant than their appearance, with
the skin of the lips dried, and the white teeth, giving an aspect of
grinning from pain.
The howling monkeys of South America, who make the forests resound at
night, or before a coming storm, with their hideous choruses, and whose
hollow and enlarged tongue bone, and expanded lower jaw enable them to
utter those melancholy and startling cries, are larger and fatter than
many others in the same country, and are constantly sought for as food.
They eat the thick, triangular Brazil nuts (Bertholletia Excelsa), and
break the hard pod which contains them with a stone, laying it on the
bough of a tree, or some other stone. They sometimes get their tail
between the two, of course the blow falls upon the tail, and the monkey
bounds away, howling in the most frightful manner.
The prettiest of all monkeys is the Marmozet; the Ouistiti of Buffon;
the Simia Jacchus of Linnæus. It is extremely sensitive to cold;
nevertheless, if plentifully supplied with wool, cotton, and other warm
materials, will live for years in this climate. Dr. Neill of Edinburgh,
that most excellent protector and lover of animals, brought one from
Bahia, which he found great difficulty in training. It even resisted
those who fed it, not allowing them to touch it, putting on an angry,
suspicious look, and being roused by even the slightest whisper. During
the voyage it ate corn and fruit, and when these became scarce, took to
cockroaches; of which it cleared the vessel. It would dispatch twenty
large, besides smaller ones, three or four times in each day, nipping
off the head of the former, and rejecting the viscera, legs, and hard
wing cases. Besides these, it fed on milk, sugar, raisins, and
bread-crumbs. It afterwards made friends with a cat, and slept and eat
with this animal, but it never entirely lost its distrustful feelings.
Lieutenant Edwards, in his voyage up the Amazon, mentions a domestic
white monkey, which had contrived to get to the top of a house, and no
persuasions or threats could get him down again. He ran over the roof,
displaced the tiles, peeped into the chambers below (for there are no
ceilings in that country), and when called, put his thumb up to his
nose. He was shot at with corn, but having found a rag, he held it up
before him, and so tried to evade the shot; every now and then peeping
over the top. At last he was left to himself; and when no endeavours
were made to get him down, he came of his own accord. Captain Brown
mentions a monkey, who, when he was troublesome in the cabin of a ship,
was fired at with gunpowder and currant jelly; and in order to defend
himself, used to pick up the favorite monkey, and hold him between the
pistol and himself when it was presented.
A race of animals exists in Madagascar, and some of the Eastern islands,
to which the name of Maki has been given, and which, although differing
in the formation of the skull and teeth, must, from having four hands,
be placed among the Quadrumana. They are nocturnal in their habits, very
gentle and confiding, with apparently one exception, which is called the
Vari. M. Frederic Cuvier has told us, that two of these being shut up in
a cage together, one killed and eat his companion, leaving nothing but
the skin. Two of them are remarkable for their slow, deliberate
movements; and one of them, named the Lemur Tardigradus, was procured
at Prince of Wales's Island by Mr. Baird. He tells us that his eyes
shone brightly in the dark, and that he moved his eyelids diagonally,
instead of up and down. He had two tongues, one rough like that of a
cat, the other narrow and sharp, and both projected at the same time,
unless he chose to retain the latter. He generally slept rolled up like
a ball, with his arms over his head, taking hold of his cage. He and a
dog lived together in the same cage, and a great attachment subsisted
between them; but nothing could reconcile him to a cat, which constantly
jumped over his back, thereby causing him great annoyance.
I cannot better close this notice of Monkeys than by giving a curious
legend which is told in Northwestern Africa, and which is more uncommon
than the belief, which is to be found in most countries, that "monkeys
can talk if they like, but they won't, for fear white men should make
them work." It was related by the negroes to each other with infinite
humour; the different voices of the characters were assumed, and the
gestures and countenance were in accordance with the tale.
"There was once a big and a strong man, who was a cook, and he married a
woman who thought herself very much above him, so she only accepted him
on condition that she should never be asked to go into the cook-house
(kitchen), but live in a separate dwelling. They were married, and all
the house he had for her was the kitchen; but she did not at first
complain, because she was afraid to make her husband unhappy. At last
she became so tired of her life, that she began to find fault; but at
first was very gentle. At last she scolded incessantly, and the man, to
keep her quiet, told her he would go to the bush (forest), and fetch
wood to build her a new house. He went away, and in a few hours brought
some wood. The next day his wife told him to go and fetch some more.
Again he went away, stayed all day, and only brought home a few sticks,
which made her so angry, that she took the biggest and beat him with it.
The man went away a third time, and stayed all night, not bringing home
any wood at all, saying that the trees which he had cut down were so
heavy that he could not bring them all the way. Then he went and stayed
two days and nights, which made his wife very unhappy. She cried very
much, intreated him not to leave her, promised not to scold or beat him
any more, and to live contentedly in the kitchen; but he answered 'No!
you made me go to the bush, now I like the bush very much, and I shall
go and stop there for ever.' So saying, he rushed out of the cook-house
into the bush, where he turned into a monkey, and from him came all
other monkeys."