18 ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



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 palar- 

 quin 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 fish-hooks. The above- 

 mentioned traveller watched one, which he calls a lan- 

 dar, 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 doze. 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 shopman 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 

 mcrocls. He had, however, overlooked some hornets, 



