MONKEY KIND. 311 



a voice, and yet in a manner so precipitate, that, 

 to hear him at a distance, one would think the 

 whole company were crying out at the same 

 time : however, during that time, one only is 

 speaking, and all the rest observe the taost pro- 

 found silence. When this has done, he makes a 

 sign with the hand for the rest to reply ; and at 

 that instant they raise their voices together, until 

 fey another signal of the hand they are enjoined 

 silence. This they as readily obey ; till, at last, 

 the whole assembly breaks up, after hearing a 

 repetition of the same preachment." 



The chief food of the monkey tribe is fruits, 

 the buds of trees, or succulent roots and plants. 

 They all, like man, seem fond of sweets ; and 

 particularly the pleasant juice of the palm-tree 

 and the sugar-cane. With these the fertile re- 

 gions in which they are bred seldom fail to sup- 

 ply them ; but when it happens that these fail, or 

 that more nourishing food becomes more agree- 

 able, they eat insects and worms ; and, some- 

 times, if near the coasts, descend to the sea-shore, 

 where they eat oysters, crabs, and shell-fish. 

 Their manner of managing an oyster is extraor- 

 dinary enough ; but it is too well attested to fail 

 of our assent. As the oysters in the tropical cli- 

 mates are generally larger than with us, the mon- 

 keys, when they go to the sea-side, pick up a 

 stone, and clap it between the opening shells ; 

 this prevents them from closing, and the monkey 

 then eats the fish at his ease. They often also 

 draw crabs from the water, by putting their tail 

 to the hole where that animal takes refuge, and 



