-> Apes and Monkeys 



mbega rejected them vehemently, and I had to get fresh 

 ones often no easy task. It always tried to tear off the 

 leaves of the branch held out to it, as it was wont to do 

 during its days of liberty, being much handicapped in this by 

 the want of a thumb. I accustomed it gradually to bananas. 

 The strongest and most herculean nigger of my 

 assembled caravan was appointed keeper of the animal 

 during the march. 'I his man was a member of the 

 Wadigo tribe. In his youth he had been taken to the 

 velt by the Masai, before the days of the rinderpest, 

 and when they made their cattle-stealing expeditions as far 

 as Tanga on the sea-coast. He had learnt thus how to 

 tend cattle and animals of all kinds. 



It was a comical sight to see this black, six feet high, 

 with his good-natured child's face, holding up a primitive 

 sunshade over the. mbega, carefully wrapped up, and 

 bound to him by a leathern thong. The: mbega was 

 always trying to bite the black, and one could not help 

 laughing at the sight of their struggles. It was al\\a\s 

 amidst the amicable ]eers of the other carriers that peace 

 would be restored and that " I'erad]i Bill ' would at length 

 be able to go on his way with his ward. Hut there 

 were continual!) fresh difficulties to be overcome. ( >n 

 the march to the coast it was with the greatest trouble 

 that we procured creeping plants in Miiticient quantity 

 lo nourish the monkey, tor the fagara did not grow here. 

 I hen, too, the mbega developed .svmptoms ot lever, which 

 I sought to ward oil by <|uinme. Hut at last it arrived 

 at the coast, and was transported to Ktirope, where it 

 has now lived lor two vears, in the l>erlm Zoological 



547 



