Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-08-08
An Army of Monkeys.
A NOVEL BRIDGE.

NOVEL BRIDGE.
IN capt. Reid's Adventures in Southern Mex
ico, we find the following curious account of the
way monkeys cross streams of water too wide for
them to jump over 1t is exceedingly curious,
and we have no doubt true:
They are coming, and will most likely cross
by the rocks yonder," observed Raoul
E" How--swim it % asked. 1t is torrent
there %
Oh, nor answered the Frenchman s'mon-
keys would rather go into fire than water. Ifthey
cannot leap the stream, they will bridge it I"
Bridge it and how -
"StoP moment Captain, and you shall see."
The half human voices now sounded nearer, and
we could perceive that the animals were approach
ing the spot where we lay. Presently they ap-
Peared upon the opposite bank, headed by an old
grey chieftain, and officered like so many soldiers
They were, as Raoul stated. of the comadreja or
ring tailed tribe.
On--an aide de-camp, or chief pioneer, perhaps
ran out upon projecting rock, and, after look
ing across the stream, as if calculating the dis
tance, scampered back, and appeared to commu-
nicate with the leader This produced move
ment in the troop. Commands were issued, and
fatigue parties were detailed, and marched to the
front. Meanwhile several the comadrejas-en-
gineers, no doubt-ran along the bank, examng
the trees on both sides of the arroyo.
AT length they all collected around tall cot.
tonwood, that grew over the narrowest part of the
stream, and twenty or thirty ofthem scampered up
its trunk. On reaching high point, the foremost
"a strong fellow-ran out upon limb, and, ta
king several turns of his tail around it, slipped off,
and hung head downward. The next on the limb,
also stout one climbed down the body of the
rst and whipping his tail tightly around the neck
and forearm of the latter, dropped off in his turn,
and head down. The third repeated this nance
uvre upon the second, and the fourth upon the
third, and on, until the last one upon the string
rested his fore paws upon the ground.
The living chain now commenced swinging
backward and foreward. like the pendulum of
clock. The motion was slight at first, but gradu
ally increased, the lowermost monkey striking his
hands violently the earth as he passed the tam
gent of the osclllating curve. Several others up
on the limbs above aided the movement.
This continued until the monkey at the end of
the chain was thrown among the branches of
tree on the opposite bank Here, after two or
three vibrations, he clutched limb, and held fast.
This movement was executed adroitly, just at the
eliminating point of the oscillation, in order to
save the intermediate links from the violence of
too sudden jerk
The chain was now fast on both ends, forming
a complete suspension bridge. over which the
whole troop to the number of four or FIVE hundred,
passed with the rapidity Of thought.
1t was one of the most comical sights ever be-
held, to witness the quizzical expression of coun
tenances along that living chain
The troop was now on the other side, but how
were the animals forming the bridge to get them
selves over This was the question that suggest
ed itself. Manifestiy, by number one letting go
his tail. But then the point dappui on the other
side was much lower down, and number one with
half-a dozen OF his neighbors, would be dashed
against the opposite bank, or soused into the wa
ter.
Here, then, was problem. and we waited with
some curiosity for its solution. 1t was soon solv-
ed A monkey was now seen attaching his tail to
the lowest on the bridge. another girded him in
similar MANNER and another, and so on, until
dozen more were added to the string. These last
were all powerful fellows and, running up to a
high limb, they lifted the bridge into position al
most horizontal.
Then a scream from the last monkey of tn new
formation warned the tail end that all was ready
and the next moment the whole was swung over,
and landed safely on the opposite bank. The low
srmost links now dropped off like melting can
die, while the higher ones leaped to the branches
and came down by the trunk. The whole troop
hen scampered off into the chapperal and disap-
peared