533 



(simia capucina of Buffon). The manner of 

 roasting these anthropomorphous animals con- 

 tributes singularly to render their appearance 

 disagreeable in the eyes of civilized man. A 

 little grating or lattice of very hard wood is 

 formed, and raised one foot from the ground. 

 The monkey is skinned, and bent into a sitting 

 posture ; the head generally resting on the 

 arms, which are meagre and long ; but some- 

 limes these are crossed behind the back. When 

 it is tied on the grating, a very clear fire is 

 kindled below. The monkey, enveloped in 

 smoke and flame, is broiled and blackened at 

 the same time*. On seeing the natives devour 

 the arm or leg of a roasted monkey, it is diffi- 

 cult not to believe, that this habit of eating 

 animals, that so much resemble man in their 

 physical organization, has, in a certain degree, 

 contributed to diminish the horror of anthropo- 

 phagy among savages. Roasted monkeys, par- 

 ticularly those that have a very round head, 

 display a hideous resemblance to a child ; the 

 Europeans therefore, who are obliged to feed 

 on quadrumanes, prefer separating the head 

 and the hands, and serve up only the rest of 



* Soon after my return to Europe, an engraving was pub- 

 lished at Weimar from a drawing composed with great spirit 

 by Mr. Schick at Rome, representing one of our resting 

 places on the banks of the Oroonoko. In the foreground 

 some Indians are occupied in roasting a monkey. 



