MONKEYS. 285 



some bay, some grey, and some spotted. Their agilitie LlB - IV - 

 and maner of doing is admirable, for that they seeme to 

 have reason and discourse to go vpon trees, wherein they 

 seeme to imitate birds. Going from Nombre de Dios to 

 Panama I did see in Capira one of these monkies leape 

 from one tree to an other, which was on the other side of 

 a river, making me much to wonder. They leape where 

 they list, winding their tail.es about a braunch to shake it ; 

 and when they will leape further than they can at once, 

 they vse a pretty devise, tying themselves by the tailes one 

 of another, and by this nieanes make as it were a chaine 

 of many ; then doe they launch themselves foorth, and the 

 first holpen by the force of the rest takes holde where hee 

 list, and so hangs to a bough, and helps all the rest, till they 

 be gotten vp. It were long to report the fooleries, trickes, 

 traverses, and pleasant sportes they make when they are 

 taught, which seeme not to come from brute beasts, but from 

 a manlike vnderstanding. I sawe one in Cathagena, in the 

 Governours house, so taught as the things he did seemed 

 incredible. They sent him to the taverne for wine, putting 

 the pot in one hand and the money in the other, and they 

 could not possibly gette the money out of his hand before 

 he had his pot full of wine. If any children mette him in 

 the streete and threw any stones at him he would set his 

 pot downe on the one side and cast stones against the 

 children till he had assured his way, then would he returne 

 to carry home his pot. And which is more, although hee 

 were a good bibber of wine (as I have oftentimes seene him 

 drinke when his maister hath given it him) yet would he 

 never touch it vntill leave was given him. They told me, 

 moreover, that if hee sawe any women painted he would 

 fall vppon them, pull off their attire, and would seeke to 

 bite them. 



This may bo an addition which I have not seene, but I 

 doe not thinke there is any beast in the world approacheth 



