HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
My first question naturally was, "What have 
you done in the matter? Why come to me at the 
last moment?" " Simply this," replied Lee Bapty, 
"that I have been in negotiation with a country 
dealer; this is the contract he has sent me, and 
which I have no intention of signing-, [I might say 
I hold this precious document to this day], and 
am obliged to make arrangements elsewhere, with 
you even, or with anyone else; now what do you 
say?" "Simply this : that at the moment I could 
not enter into an agreement to supply a 1,000 
mixed monkeys; such an order has never been 
known before, but I undertake with three days 
notice to supply 100 monkeys." One hundred was 
ridiculous, but what would I charge for + hat num- 
ber? Ninety pounds delivered at the Alexandra 
Palace; I plainly told Lee Bapty I could not under- 
take to finance the Monkey Show, it was a large 
undertaking; Chimpanzees and Ourang-Outangs 
were expensive animals, and even a thousand 
pounds would not go far, so if you require 100' 
monkeys I will deliver them to you three days after 
receiving the ninety pounds. "Well," he re- 
marked, "to-morrow Friday I am engaged with 
the Directors, but I will give you an answer on 
Saturday." 
On my return home I consulted the "Shipping 
Gazette" and discovered that a famous steamer 
which always carried a quantity of animals and 
birds was due either Sunday night or Monday 
morning, and I felt sure I should find quite one 
hundred there. 
Saturday passed and no commission from Lee 
Bapty, so I came to the conclusion that the monkey 
business was off. 
However, much to my astonishment on Sunday 
morning, Lee Bapty drove up in great haste. En- 
tering the shop, he exclaimed, "I have finally 
decided to leave the collection of monkeys to you, 
and I am quite willing to finance the undertaking; 
unfortunately I was too late at the Bank yester- 
day (Saturday), but have managed by visiting the 
various hotels in my district in obtaining ninety 
pounds; I suppose you don't mind what it consists 
of?" It certainly was a miscellaneous collection — 
threepenny and fourpenny pieces, other silver, gold 
and postal orders — ninety pounds in all. Whilst 
counting the money, a telegram arrived from Deal 
stating that Messrs. Rathbone's steamer, "Mira," 
was passing, and would arrive at Gravesend some 
time Sunday night. I there and then remarked to 
Lee Bapty that his first 100 monkeys had arrived, 
and asked him to give instructions at the Palace 
to receive same in the morning, and also that I 
would call at his office in Queen Victoria Street 
on Monday about five o'clock for another ninety 
pounds. 
Arriving at Gravesend I was informed that the 
ss. "Mira" would not cast anchor before six 
o'clock in the morning. To my unbounded 
pleasure there were 100 Rhesus monkeys, with a 
leopard, and some mynahs for sale, the property 
of the cook. The price in those days ranged from 
8/- to 10/- each, and no amount of argument 
would move him to take less; if I did not give 10/- 
someone else would. I paid him there and then, 
and within two hours the animals were at Fen- 
church Street Station where a pair horse van was 
waiting to take them straight away to the Palace. 
They were delivered and counted in by two 
o'clock, and at four, according to appointment, I 
was at Queen Victoria Street. 
"I think," remarked Mr. Lee Bapty, "that I had 
better give you £180, for it seems to me, with 
ordinary luck, you will obtain the animals." 
The same night I again consulted the " Shipping 
Gazette," and found there was another steamer 
due on Wednesday. I also cabled various steamers 
at Port .Said, Malta and Gibraltar. 
Every steamer calling at Portland for the pilot 
from East Indies was advised as to my buying 
monkeys. Every dealer in Triste, Marseilles, Bor- 
deaux, Havre, Antwerp and Hamburg, were also 
solicited to submit numbers with prices, but in 
those days the monkey market was centred in Lon- 
don. I am pleased to say that the London dealers 
supplied the world then. On the Wednesday 
morning I received a visit from the late Mr. W. 
Pring, who carried on business in the Brompton 
Road. He advised me that he had 70 Rhesus mon- 
keys on the steamer arriving; he believed there 
were also some others; would I go down with him 
from Fenchurch Street and see what business 
could be done? 
It was arranged that the price on the steamer 
should be 8/- each; he would be satisfied with 
10/-. The baker had 75 for Mr. Pring, I pur- 
chased 120 from the cook and steward, and re- 
turned to town with 195, which were delivered at 
the Palace same day. The total delivered in three 
days from the above two steamers and other 
sources were 380, which naturally delighted the 
Management. Other dealers now discovering I 
was the contractor for the Show offered me large 
quantities of African monkeys, including Chim- 
panzees, and other rare specimens, of which 200 
were brought from them. The ss. "Limpopo" 
arrived in the London Docks from Durban, Natal, 
with eight splendid Black-armed Chacma Baboons. 
These, in one large cage, formed the principal at- 
traction at the Palace. Mr. Lee Bapty and myself 
then decided to visit the various continental sea- 
ports in search of any of the rarer varieties. Ex- 
tensive purchases were made from the Zoological 
Gardens at Antwerp, such as Mandrills, Negro 
monkeys, Tamerines, and rare Marmozets. Various 
specimens were also brought from the Jardin 
d 'Acclimation, Paris, Zoological Gardens, Rotter- 
dam, and the Zoological Gardens, Amsterdam. 
The number was now approaching 800 in all, col- 
lected within about 12 days. Another Rathbone 
steamer was now due which I hoped would enable 
