THE MONKEY KIND. 



407 



with which this most pleasing science is ob- 

 scured and rendered disgusting. For my own 

 part, I will spare the reader and myself the 

 trouble of entering into an elaborate descrip- 

 tion ofeach; content with observing once more, 

 that their numbers are very great, and their 

 differences very trifling. There is scarcely 

 a country in the tropical climates that does 

 not swarm with them, and scarcely a forest 

 that is not inhabited by a race of monkeys 

 distinct from all others. Every different 

 wood along the coasts of Africa may be con- 

 sidered as a separate colony of monkeys, dif- 

 fering from those of the next district in colour, 

 in size, and malicious mischief. It is indeed 

 remarkable, that the monkeys of two cantons 

 are never found to mix with each other, but 

 rigorously to observe a separation : each fo- 

 rest produces only its own ; and these guard 

 their limits from the intrusion of all strangers 

 of a different race from themselves. In this 

 they somewhat resemble the human inhabi- 

 tants of the savage nations among whom they 

 are found, where the petty kingdoms are 

 numerous,and their manners opposite. There, 

 in the extent of a few miles, the traveller is 

 presented with men speaking different lan- 

 guages, professing different religions, govern- 

 ed by different laws, and only resembling 

 each other in their mutual animosity. 



In general, monkeys of all kinds, being less 

 than the baboon, are endued with less powers 

 of doing mischief. Indeed, the ferocity of 

 their nature seems to diminish with their 

 size ; and when taken wild in the woods, 

 they are sooner tamed, and more easily 

 taught to imitate man, than the former. More 

 gentle than the baboon, and less grave and 

 sullen than the ape, they soon begin to exert 

 all their sportive mimicries, and are easily 

 restrai ned by correction. But it must be con- 

 fessed, that they will do nothing they are de- 

 sired without beating; for, if their fears be 

 entirely removed, they are the most insolent 

 and headstrong animals in nature. 



In their native woods they are not less the 

 pests of man than of other animals. The 

 monkeys, says a traveller," are in possession 

 of every forest where they reside, and may be 

 considered as the masters of the place. 



a Description Historique de Macacar, p. 51. 



Neither the tiger, nor the lion itself, will ven- 

 ture to dispute the dominion, since these, 

 from the tops of trees, continually carry on 

 offensive war, and by their agility escape all 

 possibility of pursuit. Nor have the birds 

 less to fear from their continual depredations; 

 for, as these harmless inhabitants of the wood 

 usually build upon trees, the monkeys are for 

 ever on the watch to find out and rob their 

 nests; and such is their petulant delight in 

 mischief, that they will fling their eggs against 

 the ground, when they want appetite or in- 

 clination to devour them. 



There is but one animal in all the forest 

 that ventures to oppose the monkey, and that 

 is the serpent. The larger snakes are often 

 seen winding up the trees where the monkeys 

 reside; and, when they happen to surprise 

 them sleeping, swallow them whole, before 

 the little animals have time to make a de- 

 fence. In this manner, the two most mischiev- 

 ous kinds in all nature keep the whole forest 

 between them ; both equally formidable to 

 each other, and for ever employed in mutual 

 hostilities. The monkeys, in general, inhabit 

 the tops of the trees, and the serpents cling 

 to the branches nearer the bottom, and in 

 this manner they are for ever seen near each 

 other, like enemies in the same field of battle. 

 Some travellers, indeed, have supposed that 

 their vicinity rather argued their mutual 

 friendship, and that they united in this man- 

 ner to form an offensive league against all the 

 rest of animated nature. b " I have seen these 

 monkeys," says Labat, " playing their gam- 

 bols upon those very branches on which the 

 snakes were reposing, and jumping over them 

 without receiving any injury, although the 

 serpents of that country were naturally vin- 

 dictive, and always ready to bite whatever 

 disturbed them." These gambols, however, 

 were probably nothing more than the insults 

 of an enemy that was conscious of its own 

 safety; and the monkeys might have provoked 

 the snake in the same manner as we often 

 see sparrows twitter at a cat. However 

 this be, the forest is generally divided be- 

 tween them; and these woods, which nature 

 seems to have embellished with her richest 

 magnificence, rather inspire terror than de- 



b Labat, Relat. de 1'Afriq. Occident, p. 317. 



