MONKEY KIND. 307 



ever he goes ; jumping from tree to tree with 

 such amazing swiftness, that the eye can scarcely 

 attend their motions. Although they take the 

 most desperate leaps, yet they are seldom seen to 

 come to the ground, for they easily fasten upon 

 the branches that break their fall, and stick, 

 either by their hands, feet, or tail, wherever they 

 touch. If one of them happens to be wounded, 

 the rest assemble round, and clap their fingers 

 into the wound, as if they were desirous of sound- 

 ing its depth. If the blood flows in any quantity, 

 some of them keep it shut up, while others get 

 leaves, which they chew, and thrust into the 

 opening: However extraordinary this may ap- 

 pear, it is asserted to be often seen, and to be 

 strictly true. In this manner they wage a petu- 

 lant, unequal war ; and are often killed in num- 

 bers before they think proper to make a retreat. 

 This they effect with the same precipitation with 

 which they at first come together. In this retreat 

 the young are seen clinging to the back of the 

 female, with which she jumps away, seemingly 

 unembarrassed by the burden. 



The curiosity of the Europeans has, in some 

 measure, induced the natives of the places where 

 these animals reside, to catch or take them alive 

 by every art they are able. The usual way in 

 such case is to shoot the female as she carries 

 her young, and then both, of course, tumble to 

 the ground. But even this is not easily perform- 

 ed ; for if the animal be not killed outright, it 

 will not fall, but, clinging to some branch, con- 

 tinues, even when dead, its former grasp, and 



