128 
to receive the gravy: it is perhaps need- 
lefs to remark, that he immediately af- 
terwards devoured it. 
A wanderu was exhibited at Bour- 
deaux, in the year 1762, which by his 
actions excited much aftonifhment in 
the fpectators. When mounted on an 
extended cord, he firlt ftretched out each 
of his feet to have them chalked ; then, 
taking in his hand a pole weighted at 
each end (imilar to the balance em- 
ployed by rope-dancers), he walked 
backward and forward, cut capers, and 
executed numerous other tricks, with 
infinitely greater eafe and celerity than 
the moft expert rope-dancer that had be- 
fore been feen. 
The monkies, however, that are train- 
ed and educated by fome of the Indian 
buifoons, are reported to be by far the 
-moft agile and adioit of all aninals that 
are reared in captivity. - 
Some of the apes, fuch as the oran 
ofans, the putas, and the dog-faced apes, 
are faid always to place a centinel on 
the top of a tree, or on fome other ele- 
vated fituation, to keep watch when 
the reft are either about to fleep or to 
engage in any marauding expedition. 
The motions or the cry of this animal 
are a ficnal of danger, and immediately 
the whole troop {campers off with the 
utmoft rapidity. It has been afferted, 
but few perfons will be inclined to cre- 
dit the affertion, that the centinels are 
viten punihed with death for neglecting 
their duty. 
The Europeans at the Cape of Good 
Hope fometimes catch young apes by 
ea ey or by previoufly killing their 
dam, and bring them up with care for 
the ‘purpofe of rendering them after- 
wards ferviceable. When they have at- 
tained their growth, they are taught to 
guard the houfe of their owner, duribg 
the night, and on all occafions of his 
abfence. This they do with great fide- 
lity ; but as they increafe in age, their 
mifchievous propentities develope them- 
felves, and they oftentimes become ex- 
tremely ill-tempered and ferocious. Thefe 
apes, which are of the urfine fpectes, 
are fo much inclined to imitation, that 
they feldom fee any thing done without 
attempting to do the fame. Some of 
them are very fiubborn and perverfe; 
but many are readily fufceptible of edu- 
cation, learning, without difficulty, al- 
mott every thing thats taught them. 
Condamine and Bouger faw, in Peru, 
fome dometticated monkies of large tze, 
On the Stratagems of Apes and Monkies. 
[ March Ff, 
which had been admitted into the apart= 
ments of the academicians, during the 
time they were employed in making ob- 
fervations in the mountains. Thele 
animals greatly exeited the altonifhment 
of the academicians, by afterwards, of 
their own accord, going through a feries 
of imitations. They planted the firnals, 
ran to the Teheran and then imme- 
diately to the table, as if for the pur- 
pote of committing to paper the obfer- 
vations they had made. They occa- 
fionally pointed the telefcopes towards 
the heavens, as if to view the planets 
or ftars, and performed numerous other 
feats of a fimilar nature. 
The whimtical occurrence which took 
place before the troops of Alexander the 
Great, 1s too fincular and too amufing to 
be pailed over in filence. ‘The foldiers \ 
under command of this monarch always 
marched in order of battle. They hap- 
pened one night to encamp on a moun- 
tain, that was inhabited by a numerous 
tribe of monkies. On the following 
morning, they faw at a dittance what 
appeared to be an immenfe body of 
troops approaching them, as if with the 
intention of coming to an engagement. 
The commanders, as well as os foldiers, 
were in. the utmoft aftonifiment. Hay- 
ing entirely fubdued the prince of the 
country, they could not conceive from 
whence this new force could have come; 
they had not previoufly been informed 
of any thing of the kind. The alarm 
was immediately given, and in a fhort 
time the whole’ Macedonian army was 
drawn up in battle-array, to combat with 
this unexpected enemy. The prince of 
the country, who was a prifoner in the 
camp, was interrogated refpeéting it. 
He was furprifed to be informed of fuch 
a force in the neighbourhood, and re- 
quefied permiffion to behold it himfelf, 
He fmiled at the miftake; and the Ma- 
cedunians were not a little chagrined 
that they fhould have been fuch fools as 
to take a troop of thefe mitative animats 
for a band of armed men. 
All the apes and monkres are reported 
to entertain a natural averfion and an- 
tipathy to the crocodile. It is faid, that 
fome of them will even faint at feeing 
or fmelling the ikin of one of thefe fright- 
ful reptiles. 
The animals of that fubdivifion of the 
tribe denominated fapajous have long 
tails, which they can coil up, and employ 
(in fome refpeéts, but particularly in 
defcending trees,) as a hand, By means 
of 
