314 ANIMALS OF THE 



calm spectator of the enemy's efforts ; but just 

 when, by long labour, the weasel had effected its 

 purpose, and had removed the board, the monkey 

 stept in, and, with the utmost dexterity, fastened 

 it again in its place, and the disappointed weasel 

 was too much fatigued to renew its operations. 

 To this I will only add what Father Carli, in his 

 history of Angola, assures us to be true. In that 

 horrid country, where he went to convert the 

 savage natives to Christianity, and met with no- 

 thing but distress and disappointment ; while his 

 health was totally impaired by the raging heats of 

 the climate, his patience exhausted by the obsti- 

 nacy of the stupid natives, and his little provi- 

 sions daily plundered, without redress ; in such 

 an exigency he found more faithful services from 

 the monkeys than the men : these he had taught 

 to attend him, to guard him while sleeping 

 against thieves and rats, to comb his head, to 

 fetch his water ; and he asserts, that they were 

 even more tractable than the human inhabitants 

 of the place. It is indeed remarkable, that in 

 those countries where the men are most barbarous 

 and stupid, the brutes are most active and saga- 

 cious. It is in the torrid tracts, inhabited by 

 Barbarians, that such various animals are found 

 with instincts so nearly approaching reason. The 

 savages both of Africa and America accordingly 

 suppose monkeys to be men ; idle, slothful, ra- 

 tional beings ; capable of speech and conversa- 

 tion ; but obstinately dumb, for fear of being 

 compelled to labour. 



