54 THE BARBARY APE. 



arms as women do their children), venture to ap- 

 proach the baskets, and as they are about to thrust 

 their heads in to eat, the males on the one side ad- 

 vance to hinder them. Immediately the other party 

 comes forward, and the feud being kindled on 

 both sides, the combatants seize the cudgels and 

 commence a most severe fight, which always ends 

 with the weakest being driven into the woods with 

 broken heads and limbs. The victors, he tells us, 

 then fall to in peace, and devour the reward of 

 their labour*. 



He also informs us, that as he was himself travel- 

 ling in the East Indies, in company wnth the Eng- 

 lish president, a great number of large Apes were 

 observed upon the trees around them. The presi- 

 dent was so much amused, that he ordered his car- 

 riage to stop, and desired Tavernier to shoot one of 

 them. The attendants, who were principally na- 

 tives, and well acquainted with the manners of 

 these animals, begged him to desist, lest those that 

 escaped might do them some injury in revenge for 

 the death of a companion. Being, however, still 

 requested, he killed a female, which fell among the 

 branches, letting her little ones, that clung to her 

 neck, fall to the ground. In an instant all the re- 

 maining Apes, to the number of sixty or upwards, 

 descended in fury, and, as many as cotdd, leaped 

 upon the president's coach, where they would soon 

 have strangled him, had not the blinds been imme- 

 diately closed, and the number of attendants so 



* Travels iu India. 



