A TROOP OF MONKEYS 



forest, and I had visions of a magnificent bull 

 elephant or buffalo. Unfortunately it was only a 

 troop of monkeys jumping from branch to branch 

 amongst the tree-tops, so I exchanged my express 

 rifle for a shot-gun, and as they approached I shot 

 one as he was crossing above the stream. He fell 

 with a splash into the water, and at the sound of the 

 shot the rest dashed off in alarm, their frightened 

 chattering soon dying away in the distance. I sent 

 one of the porters to retrieve the one I had killed, 

 and it proved to be an adult male of a small species 

 of monkey which is only found in the bush near the 

 coast. Much to my surprise it was clasping in its 

 arms a tiny baby monkey not more than one or two 

 days old. The expression of anguish on its face, in 

 fact, its whole appearance was so distressingly human 

 that I hurriedly sent it back to the camp in charge 

 of the skinner, in order to be rid of it. It appears, 

 from what the natives told me, that it is not unusual 

 for the male parent to look after the newborn 

 monkey, while the mother goes out in search of food, 

 during the first few weeks after birth. 



On the same day I managed to replenish my 

 stock of food by killing two guinea-fowl and another 

 duck. This was really welcome, for, owing to the 

 heat and humidity, I had been compelled to throw 

 away the rest of my potatoes, which had gone bad, 

 and a sack of mealies that had become mouldy. 



Owing to the uncertain and cloudy weather I 

 was often compelled, at this time, to take observations 

 for latitude and time to the sun. This was a very 

 trying performance, especially as at midday the sun 

 was almost vertically overhead, since Shimbirleh is 

 situated only a few miles south of the Equator, and 



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