MONKEYS. 
29 
these animals reside, to take them alive by every 
art they are able. The usual way, in such case, 
is to shoot the female as she carries her young, 
and then both, of course, tumble to the ground. 
But even this is not easily performed ; for if the 
animal be not killed outright, it will not fall ; 
but clinging to some branch, continues, even 
when dead, its former gra$p, and remains on the 
tree where it was shot, until it drops off by 
putrefaction : in this maimer it is totally lost to 
the pursper ; ior to attempt climbing the tree, 
to bringfeiiher it or the young one down, would 
probably be fatal, from the number of serpents 
that are hid among the branches. For this rea- 
son the sportsman always takes care to aim at the 
head ; which, if he hits, the monkey falls directly 
to the grouM ' and the young one comes down at 
the same time, clinging to its dead parent. 
The Europeans along the coasts of Guinea, 
often go into the w oods to shoot monkeys ; and 
nothing pleases the negroes more than to see these 
animals drop, against which they have the greatest 
animosity. They consider them, and not without 
reason, as the most mischievous and tormenting 
creatures in the world ; and are happy to see their 
numbers destroyed, upon a double account ; as 
well because they dread their devastations, as be- 
cause they love their flesh. The monkey, which 
is always skinned befote it is eaten, when served 
up at a negro feast, looks so like a child, that 
an European is shocked at the very sight. The 
natives, however, who are not so nice, devour it 
as one of the highest delicacies ; and assiduously 
attend our sportsmen, to profit by the spoil. But 
what they are chiefly astonished at, is to see our 
travellers carefully taking the young ones alive, 
while they leave them the old ones, that are cer- 
tainly the most fit to be eaten. They cannot com- 
