Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1850-08-03
PIAQUEMINE, IBERVIILE AUGUST {, IS
An Array of Monkeys.
4 NOVEL SUSPENSION BRIDGE.

NOVEL SUSPENSION BRIDGE.
'They are coming toward the bridge; they
will most likely cross the rocks yonder," OBJ
served Raoul.
"How--swim it :" asked at is torrent
there"
ooh, no!' answered the Frenchman; s'mon-
keys would rather 60 into fire than water. If
they cannot leap the stream they will bridge it."
"Bridge it, and how"
s'Stop moment Captain--you shall see"
The half human voices now sounded nearer,
and we could perceive that the animals We're
approaching thesspot where we lay, presently
they appeared upon the opposite bank. Headed
by an old grey chiettain and differed like so
many soldiers. They were, as Raoul stated, of
the camadrsja or ringtailed tribe. One-an
ad-de-camp, or chief pioneer, perhaps-ran
out upon the pro- jecting rock, and after looking
across the stream as if calculating the distance,
scampered back and appeared to communicate
with the leader. This produced a movement in
the troop. Commands were issued, and fatigue
parties were detailed and marched to the front.
Meanwhile several of the camadrejas
neers, no doubt-ran along the bank, examin-
ing the trees on both sides of the arrayo.
At length they all collected around tall
cottonwood that.grew over the narrowest part
OF the stream; and twenty or thirty of them
scampered up its trunk. On reaching high
point, the foremast--a strong feIlow-ran out
upon limb, and taking several turns of his
tail around it, slipped off and hung his head
downwards. The next on the limb, also
stout one, climbed down the body OF the first,
and whipped his tail tightly around the neck
and forearm of the latter dropped down, in
turn and hung head down. The third repeated
this man9uvre upon the second, and the fourth
upon the third, and so on, until the last one
upon the string rested his forepaws upon the
ground.
The living chain now commenced swinging
backwards and forwards, like the pendulum of
aclock. The motion was slight at first, but
gradually increased, the lower-most monkey
striking his hands violently on the earth as he
passed the tangent of the osciating curve
Several others on the limbs above aided the
movement.
This continued until the monkey at the end
OF the chain was thrown among the branches
of a tree upon 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!
AC chdiH WAS uoW IsISb dG Dottl clluS lOlm>
ing complete suspension bridge, over which
the whole troop passed with the rapidity of
thought.
1t was one Of the most comical sights ever
beheld, to witness the quizzcal expression of
countenance along that living chain
The troop was now on the other side, but |
how were the animals forming the bridge to
get themselves over! This was the question
which suggested itself Manifesty by number
one letting 60 his tail. But then the point
d'appni on the other side was much lower
down, and number one with half a dozen of
his neighbors, would be dashed against the op-
posite bank, or soused into the water.
Here, then was a problem, and we waited
with some curiosity for it's solution. It was
soon solved. A monkey was now seen at
taching his tail to the lowest on the bridge, and |
another, and. SO on, until dozen more were
added to the String. These last were all pow
erful fellows; and running up to high limb,
they lifted the bridge into position almost
Then a scream from the last monkey Of this
new formation warned the tail end that all was |
ready; and the next moment the whole chain |
was swung over, and landed safely on the OPP
posite bank. The lower-most links now drop
ped off like melting candle, while the highet
ones leaped to the branches and came down by
the trunk. The whole troop then scampered
off into the chapparel and disappeared !-Ad-
ventures in South America
PITCHER PLANT-A correspondent of the |