48 



A NEW HISTORY OF 



marvellous." Still, the explorer himself assures 

 us, that he has often witnessed these facts. 



Now, it has so happened, that, I have studied 

 attentively, the habits of the monkeys called 

 ouarines. The story of their preaching in concert, 

 is an idle fabrication ; and it has probably given 

 rise to these monkeys being termed howlers or 

 preachers. They commonly go by the name of 

 red monkeys in Demerara. 



The preaching part of their history is as follows. 

 I take it from my " Wanderings." 



" Nothing can sound more dreadful than the 

 nocturnal howlings of this red monkey. Whilst 

 lying in your hammock amid these gloomy and 

 immeasurable wilds, you hear him howling at 

 intervals, from eleven o'clock at night till day- 

 break. You would suppose, that half the wild 

 beasts of the forest, were collecting for the work of 

 carnage. Now, it is the tremendous roar of the 

 jaguar, as he springs upon his prey : — now, it 

 changes to his terrible and deep-toned growlings, 

 as he is pressed on all sides by superior force ; and 

 now you hear his last dying groan beneath a 

 mortal wound." 



Some naturalists have supposed that these awftd 

 sounds, which you would fancy are those of enraged 

 and dying wild beasts, proceed from a number 

 of red monkeys howling in concert. 



