THE FOUR FINGERED MONKEY. 77 



Capt. Stedman has mentioned his killing of the 

 black monkies of Surinam, called by the natives 

 MicoQ, which is either the present species, or an un- 

 described one nearly allied to it. The account is 

 interesting. Being among the wocds, and in want 

 of fresh provisions, he shot at two of these animals, 

 with the intention of making broth of them, " but 

 the destruction of one of them was," he says, *' at- 

 tended with such circumstances as almost ever after- 

 wards deterred him from going a Monkey hunting,'' 

 — " Seeing me nearly on the bank of the river in 

 the canoe, the creature made a halt from skipping 

 after his companions, and being perched on a 

 branch that hung over the water, examined me 

 with attention, and the strongest marks of curiosity, 

 no doubt taking me for a giant of his own species; 

 while he chattered prodigiously, and kept dancing 

 and shaking the bough on which he rested with in- 

 credible strength and agility. At this time I laid my 

 piece to my shoulder, and brought him down from 

 the tree into the stream ; — but may I never again 

 be witness of such a scene I The miserable animal 

 was not dead, but mortally wounded. I seized him 

 by the tail, and taking him in both my hands, to 

 end his torment, swung him round, and hit his head 

 against the side of the canoe ; but the poor creature 

 Still continued alive, and looking at me in the most 

 affecting manner that can be conceived, I knew no 

 other means of ending his murder, than to hold 

 him under the water till he was drowned, while my 

 heart sickened on his account : for his dying little 

 eyes still continued to follow mc with seeming re- 



