212 NATURALISTS CABINET. 



Supposed orations Monkey-hunting. 



of a drum, and it is said, may be heard to the 

 distance of a league. 



Marcgrave asserts, that they assemble in the 

 woods every morning and evening, and make a 

 most dreadful howling. Sometimes one of them 

 mounts on an elevated branch, and the rest seat 

 themselves round him : the first begins, as it 

 were, to harangue, and set up a howl so loud and 

 sharp as to be heard to a vast distance: during 

 his supposed oration the auditors keep a profound 

 silence; but on a certain signal, the whole assem- 

 bly joins in chorus; till a second intimation pro- 

 duces silence, and the orator finishes his address. 

 This circumstance has given rise to the appella- 

 tion of howlers, commonly bestowed on this tribe. 



The flesh of these animals is said to be well 

 flavoured; and Oexmelin says, it resembles that 

 of the hare ; but that it is of a sweetish taste ; 

 and the fat is yellow like that of a capon. tf My 

 curiosity," says this traveller, (( led me to attend 

 the hunting of these animals, and I was surprised 

 at their sagacity, not only in particularly distin- 

 guishing their enemies, but when attacked in de- 

 fending themselves, and providing for their own 

 safety. When we approached towards them 

 they all assembled together, uttered loud and 

 frightful cries, and threw at us dried branches 

 which they broke off the trees. I also remarked, 

 that they never abandoned each other: that they 

 leaped from tree to tree with an almost imper- 

 ceptible agility ; and that though they took the 



