JOURNET. 



SOUTH AMERICA. 307 



his opinion of the classification. He was a large 

 animal, and as I was pressed for daylight, and 

 moreover, felt no inclination to have the whole 

 weight of his body upon my back, I contented 

 myself with his head and shoulders, which I cut 

 off; and have brought them with me to Europe.* 

 I have since found, that I acted quite right in 

 doing so, having had enough to answer for the 

 head alone, without saying any thing of his hands 

 and feet, and of his tail, which is an appendage, 

 Lord Kames asserts, belongs to us. 



The features of this animal are quite of the 

 Grecian cast; and he has a placidity of counte- 

 nance which shows that things went well with 

 him when in life. Some gentlemen of great skill 

 and talent, on inspecting his head, were con- 

 vinced that the whole series of its features has 

 been changed. Others again have hesitated, and 

 betrayed doubts, not being able to make up their 

 minds, whether it be possible, that the brute 

 features of the monkey can be changed into the 

 noble countenance of man. " Scinditur vulgus." 

 One might argue at considerable length on this 

 novel subject ; and perhaps, after all, produce 

 little more than prolix pedantry. " Vox et prae- 

 terea nihil." 



* My young friend, Mr. J. H. Foljambe, eldest son of 

 Thomas Foljambe, Esq. of Wakefield, has made a drawing of 

 the head and shoulders of this animal, (see Frontispiece,) and it 

 is certainly a most correct and striking likeness of the original. 



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