66 INDIA BEYOND THE GANGES. 



placed a machine like the body of a coach ; reckoning the outfide 

 as well as infide they convey thirteen or fourteen paffengers ; 

 when they arrive at a river, they take the water very readily, 

 and will even carry their fare in perfed fafety over an arm of 

 the fea a mile wide. 

 Monkey. A GREAT monkey called here the Douc, by me the Cochin' 



Cbinay Hift. Quad. ii. N" 125, is found of the length of four feet 

 exclufive of the tail. The tail and lower parts of the arms are 

 pure white; the crown, upper parts of the arms and thighs 

 black, buttocks clothed with hair, round the neck a collar of 

 purplilli brown ; the face bordered up to the eyes with a great 

 yellowilh beard. It is alfo found in Madagafcar, where it is 

 called Sifac ; it walks often eredl ; its food beans. 



I BEG not to be underftood to favor the do6trine of fome fyftem- 

 makers, by connecfting the defcription of the monkey of Cochin- 

 China with that of the man. I readily allow changelings, or ar- 

 tificial monkies among our fpecies, but none that are natural; 

 we have alfo our bears. As to the men of this country, they 

 greatly refemble the Ghinefe, from whom they are diftantly 

 fprung ; they are featured exa6tly like them, but are lefs in 

 body, more adive and more valiant; the complexion of thofe on 

 the coaft is olive, that of the inland or alpine inhabitants is fairer, 

 and not inferior to that of Europeans. 



It is this country that produces in fuch quantities the edil>/e 

 birds nefts, held by the epicure of the Eaft to be the firft of deli- 

 cacies. It is chiefly made ufe of in foups and ragouts of 

 chickens ; the nefts are firll foftened in water, pulled to pieces, 

 and mixed with ginfeng, put into the bady of the fowl. The 



above 



