168 APES AND MONKEYS 



and they crouched back in the corner of the cage, clinging 

 to each other and screaming in terror. When they saw 

 me standing by them, the}- rushed to me, seized me by the 

 legs, and climbed up to my arms. Finding they were safe 

 here, they stared for a moment, as if amazed at the crowd ; 

 then Elisheba buried her face under my chin and refused 

 to look at any one. Thev were both trembling with fright, 

 and I could scarcely get them into their cage again ; but 

 after they were installed in their quarters with Dr. Cross, 

 who was to have charge of them, they became reconciled 

 to the sight of strangers in such costumes. In their own 

 country they had never seen anything like it, for the 

 natives, to whom thev were accustomed, wear, as a rule, 

 no clothing except a small piece of cloth tied round the 

 waist, and the few white men the}' had seen were mostly 

 dressed in white ; but here was a great crowd of creatures 

 in skirts and overcoats, and I have no doubt that to them 

 it was a startling sight when seen for the first time. 



During the first two weeks after arriving at Liverpool, 

 Elisheba improved in health and temper, until she was not 

 like the same creature ; but about the end of that time she 

 contracted a severe cold. A deep, dry cough, attended by 

 pains in the chest and sides, together with a piping hoarse- 

 ness, betrayed the nature of her disease and gave just 

 cause for apprehension. During frequent paroxysms of 

 coughing she pressed her hands upon her breast or side, 

 to arrest the shock and thus lessen the pain it caused. 

 When quiet, she sat holding her hands on her throat, her 

 head bowed down and her eyes drooping or closed. Day 

 by day the serpent of disease drew his deadly coils closer 



