wood along the coafts of Africa may be confidered 
as a diilinft colony of Monkies, differing from 
thofe of the next dlftrift in colour, fize, and 
malicious tricks. It is indeed renlarkabie, that 
the Monkies of two cantons are never found to 
mix with each other, but rigoroufly to keep their 
diftance : each foreft produces only it's own^ and 
thefe guard their limits from the intrufions of all 
ftrangers of a different race from themfelves. In 
this circLimftance, however, they fomewhat re- 
femble the human inhabitants of thofe favage 
countries in which they are found; where the petty 
kingdoms are numerous, and the manners dif- 
fimilar: there, in the extent of a few miles, the 
traveller is prefented with a race of men fpeaking 
different languages, profelTing diftinft religions, 
governed by different laws, and refembling each 
other only in a mutuality of oppofition and ani- 
mofity. 
The Monkey being the fmalleft of rhe ape tribe, 
is endued v/ith fewer pov^ers of doing mifchief 
than the ape proper, and the baboon. Indeed, 
the ferocity of rhe natures of thefe animals feems 
to diminifh with their fize ; and, when taken wild 
in the woods, they are tamed with more facility, 
as well as fjoncr taught to imitate human adlions, 
than the larger kinds. More gentle than the ba- 
boon, and lefs grave and fallen than the ape, they 
foon begin to exert all their fportive m.imnckrics, 
and are eafily reftrained by correftion : but it muff 
be acknowledged, that they can only be flimu- 
lated to exertion or imitation by feveritv; for if 
their fears be entirely removed, they are naturally 
the mofc infolent and headftrong creatures exifcing. 
In their native folitudes, Monkies are no lefs 
the pefts of men than of other animals: they are 
in the full poffeffion of all the forefts in which they 
refide, and may be confidered as abfolute fove- 
reigns of them. Neither the tiger, nor the lion 
himfelf, will venture to difpute the dominion; 
fmce thefe Monkies, from the tops of trees, con- 
tinually carry on an offenfive war; and, by their 
agility, efcape all poffibility of purfuit. Nor are 
the very birds exempted from their cruel depre- 
dations; for as thefe harmlefs inhabitants of the 
wood ufually build their nefts on trees, the Mon- 
kies are vigilant in difcovering and robbing them ; 
and fuch is their petulant delight in mifchief, that 
they will daffi their eggs againft the ground when 
their fatiated appetites can no longer devour 
them. 
Indeed, ferpents are the only animals of the fo- 
reft which are able to cope with thefe Monkies. 
The larger fnakes are often obferved winding up 
thofe trees v/here the Monkies refide; and when 
they happen to furprize them afleep, inftantly fwal- 
low the little defencelefs animals. 
After this manner the tv/o mod mifchievous 
kinds of creatures in all nature divide the fove- 
reignty of the foreft between them ; both equally 
formidable to each other, and ever engaged in 
mutual hoftilities. The Monkies in general in- 
habit the tops of the trees, vv'hile die ferpents cling 
to the branches near their bottoms; and thus they 
are perpetually in the neighbourhood of each 
other, like enemies in the fame field of battle. 
Some travellers indeed have fuppofed that this 
vicinity rather argued their mutual friendfhip, and 
that they united in this manner for the purpofe of 
forming an offenfive league againft all animated 
nature. ' I have feen thefe Monkies,' fays La- 
bat, ' playing their gambols on thofe very branches 
Vol. IL 
on which the fnakes were repofmg, and jumping 
over them without receiving any injury, though 
the ferpents of that country are naturally vindic- 
tive, and always ready to bite whatever difturbs 
them.' Thefe gambols, hov/ever, are probably no- 
thing more than the infults of an enemy confcious 
of it's own fafety; and the Monkies might have 
provoked the fnakes in the fame manner that we 
fometimes obferve fparrows twitter at cats. 
The enmity of thefe animals to mankind is 
partly ridiculous, and partly formidable. They 
feem, fays Le Comte, to have a peculiar inftinft 
in difcovering their foes; and are perfeftly fi-;iiled, 
when attacked, in mutually defending and affift- 
ing each other. Whenever a traveller enters the 
woods, they confider himi as an invader of their 
dominions; and all of them unite to repel the in- 
truder. At firft they furvey him with a kind of 
infolent curiofity; they jump from branch to 
branch; purfue him as he goes along; and make a 
loud chattering, to call the reft of their compa- 
nions together: they then commence hoftilitieSj 
by grinning, threatening, and throwing withered 
branches at him, which they break from the trees ; 
and even receive their excrements in their hands, 
and fling them at his head. Thus they attend 
his progrefs, jumping from tree to tree with fuch 
amazing fwiftnefs, that the eye with difficulty fol-> 
lov/s their motions. Though they take the moft 
defperate leaps, they feldom fall to the ground ; for 
they eafily faften on fome of the branches, cling- 
ing either by their hands, feet, or tails, on what- 
ever they happen to touch. If one of them 
chances to be wounded, the reft affemble round, 
and put their fingers into the wound, as if defirous 
of probing it's depth : if the blood flows in any 
quantity, fome of them keep it fhut up, while 
others colled leaves, which they chew, and thruft 
into the orifice. However extraordinary this may 
appear, it is ncverthelefs afferted to be ftridly 
true, and even to have been frequently obferved,. 
In this manner thefe animals wage a petulant, un- 
equal war ; and are often killed in num.bers before 
they think proper to make a retreat: this they ef- 
fe6i: Vv'ith the fame precipitation vi^ith which they 
at firft affembled ; and on fuch occafions the young 
are feen clinging to the backs of the females, with 
whom they fpring away, feemingly unimpeded by 
their burdens. 
F.uropean curiofity has induced the natives of 
thofe countries where Monkies refide to take 
them alive by every poffible art. The ufual way 
is to fhoot the female when carrying her youngs 
and then both parties of courfe tumble to the 
ground. But even this is not eafily eftededj for 
if the animal be not inftantaneoufly killed, it will 
adhere to fome branch of the tree, and retain, even 
when dead, it's former grafp, till it drops off 
through putrefaclion. In this cafe it is totally 
loft to the purfuer; for fhould he attempt climbing 
the tree, in order to bring down either the dam or 
her young, he would probably meet deftruftion 
from the number of ferpents hid among the 
branches: for this realbn the fportfman always 
takes care to aim at the head 5 which if he hits^ 
the Monkey falls dire£tly to the ground; and the 
young ones following their parent, are eafily fe- 
cured. 
Thofe Europeans who have fettled on the coaft 
of Guinea frequently go into the woods purpoielv 
to fhoot Monkies; and nothing can amufethe ne'- 
groes more than to fee thofe creatures drop againft 
2. B , which. 
4 
