THE MONKEY FAMILY. 



31 



not such an immediate effect. Knowing this to 

 be the case, whenever a monkey was wanted, 

 recourse was had to poisoned arrows. By this 

 precaution, the ill-fated animal's existence was not 

 prolonged under the painful anguish of a deadly 

 wound. The wourali poison would act as a balmy 

 soporific, and the victim would be dead at your feet 

 in a very short space of time. 



In treating of the " pigmy ape," our author 

 remarks, that troops of them assemble together, 

 and defend themselves from the attacks of wild 

 beasts in the desert, by throwing a cloud of sand 

 behind them, which blinks their pursuers, and 

 facilitates their escape. 



Now, this act of throwing dust in the eyes of a 

 pursuing enemy, is a most extraordinary feat on 

 the part of the pigmy ape, and were it really the 

 case, it would argue a faculty in the monkey tribe, 

 far surpassing that of instinct. 



But, let me ask in the first place, who ever saw 

 monkeys in a sandy desert ? — or, if in decided 

 opposition to their ordinary habits, they had strayed 

 out of bounds ; — pray what kind of pursuers were 

 those which received the cloud of sand from the 

 monkeys hands ? Were they wolves, or bears, 

 or foxes, or jackals? If any of this motley 

 group of hunters, — say, what were the hunters 



