154 THE MONKEYFOLK OF SOUTH AFRICA 



killed, for the Zulu soldiers had to have the proper dress 

 before they could join this particular regiment. 



The natives are very fond of our skins to make rugs you 

 call karosses v^ith. We are often captured and sent away 

 to places called Zoological Gardens, where they keep us 

 for humanfolk to come and stare at. 



The leopards, cheetahs, servals, rooi-kats, and pythons 

 are our chief enemies. Great eagles also pounce upon and 

 carry off our children whenever they get the chance. The 

 Dassievanger is the worst of them. 



We fear you humanfolk worst of all. We often wonder 

 why you persecute us so dreadfully. I suppose it is because 

 you can sell our skins for a few shillings. What a pity there 

 are not some kind of folks who would come along and hunt 

 you humanfolk, like you do us. We don't blame you for 

 trying to kill us when we come and help ourselves to your 

 mealies and fruit ; but we don't think it fair for you to come 

 right away into our wild haunts, where we live in peace 

 and don't do you any harm. I want to tell you one thing, 

 and it is this. If you capture any of our folk and want to 

 keep them in cages, don't put other kinds of monkeys with 

 them. We have a strong dislike to all other tribes of 

 monkeys, and if they are put with us, we quarrel with them. 

 We regard ourselves as monkey aristocrats, and like to hold 

 ourselves aloof. The museum-man to whom I am telKng 

 this, and who is our amanuensis, says we are snobs just like 

 many of the humanfolk. If you don't know what a snob 

 means, you will find all about it in the dictionary. 



