THE MONKE Y FA MIL Y. 163 



hands, and then threw them at his head." It is difficult to compre- 

 hend how this expert traveller managed to approach so near to these 

 wary animals, with no intervening object betwixt himself and them, 

 so that they could have a distinct view of him, and take their aim 

 accordingly. 



Still, by far the most extraordinary feat of the western monkeys 

 remains yet to be told. But I can fancy, courteous reader, that thy 

 patience is nearly exhausted. One dose more though it be much 

 stronger than any I have as yet offered to thy gullet. " Majus^ 

 parabo, majus infundam tibi fastidienti poculum? We are gravely told, 

 that certain transatlantic monkeys are adepts in the healing art. 

 " What is singular, as soon as one is wounded, the rest collect about 

 him and put their fingers into the wound, as if they meant to sound 

 it ; and when much blood is discharged, some of them keep the 

 wound shut, whilst others make a mash of leaves, and dexterously 

 stop up the aperture. This operation," continues the traveller, " I 

 have often observed with admiration." By the shade of Hippocrates, 

 these monkey-surgeons puzzle me outright. Nevertheless, our 

 narrator saw the monkeys perform the operation ; and it were dis- 

 courteous in me to doubt his word. -Wherefore, I will Content my- 

 self by simply remarking, that I believe that he believed that which 

 in reality cannot be believed. 



I have now done with quotations, the contents of which neither 

 increase my estimation of monkey ingenuity, nor tend to give me a 

 favourable opinion of the discernment of those authors from whose 

 works I have extracted them. They may possibly serve to put the 

 over- credulous lover of natural history on his guard. 'Tis said that 

 the schoolmaster is now abroad. I am glad of it. He is much 

 wanted in the province of natural history, both in the Old and in the 

 New World. 



Ere I proceed in my investigation of the monkey family as it 

 roves through its own native wilds, I will stop a moment or two here, 

 and cast my eye on certain individuals, whose destiny has placed 

 them under the imperative power of civilised man. But let it not be 

 imagined that my description of them is to be considered as in any 

 way trenching on their original habits ; or conceding to them certain 

 faculties which nature herself never intended that they should pos- 



