Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1850-08-17
A BRIDGE OF MONKEYS.

The following curious incident is related
by Capt. Reid, in his a.AdueAtwes in
Southern .Merico." This Is the mnhibst novel
way Of erecting a Suspension Bridge, ever
invented, and we think the Mexican Mon
Keys are entitled to the patent -
"They are coming towards the edge =
they will most likely cross by the rocks
yonder," observed Raoul
"How-swim it 2" / asked. tsIt is d
torrent therew H
"Oh, no" answered The Frehcbman; |;
"monkeys would rather 60 into the fire
than water If they cannot leap the
stream, they will bridge it, I
"Bridge it and how %
"Stop a moment, Captain-you shall
see."
The half human voices now sounded
nearer, and we could perceive that the ami
mails were approaching the spot where we
lay. Presently they appeared on the OPP
Poste bank, headed by an old grey haired
chieftain, and oficered like SO many SOL
dierS. They were, as Raoul stated, of the
cdm'adrega or ring-tailed tribe.
One, an aid-de-camp, or chief pioneer,
pefhaps--ran out upon projecting rock,
and, after looking across the stre5m, 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 comadr--
| 4 H.
bank, examining the trees on both sides Of
the arroyo.
AT length they all collected around 4
tall cottonwood, that grew over the mar;
rowest part of the stream, and twenty or
thirty of them scampered up its trunk. On
reaching high point, the foremost,
strong fellow, ran out upon limb, and
taking several turns of his tail around IT.,
slipped off, and hung head downwards.-
The next on the limb, also stout one,
climbed down the body of the first, and
whipping his tail round the neck and arm
of the latter, dropped off in his turn and
hung down. The third repeated this man.
Gvre upon the second, and the fourth upon
the third, and so on, until the last bne Upon
the string rested his forepaws upon the
ground.
The living chain then commended
swinging backwards and forwards, like the
pendulum of clock. The motion was
slight at first, but gradually increased, the
lowermoSt monkey striking his hands vio-
lently on the earth as he passed the tan
gent of the oscillating curve. Several
others upon 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 move
ment was executed adroitly, Just at the cul-
minating point Of the oscillation, in order
to save the intermediate links from the
violence of too sudden JERK
| The chain was now fast at both ends,
forming complete suspension bridge, over
which the whole. troop, to the number of
four or five hundred, passed with the ra-
pidity of thought.
1t was one of the most comical sights I
ever beheld, to witness the quizzical ex-
preston of countenances 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 that suggested itself. Mani
testify by number one letting 60 his tall
But then the point d'appui on the other
side was much lower down, and number
one with halfa-dozen of his neighbors,
would be dashed against the opposite bank,
or soused into the water.
Here, then, was problem, and We
waited with some curiosity for its solution
1t was soon solved. 4 monkey was now
seen attaching his tail to the lowest on the
bridge, another girded him iii similar
manner, and so on, until dozen more
were added TO the string. These last were
all powerful fellows; and running up to
high limb, they lifted the bridge into po-
sftion almost horizontal.
Then scream from the last monkey of
the new formation warned the tail end
that all was ready; and the next moment
the whole chain was swung over and land
ed safely on the opposite bank. The low
ermost LINKS now dropped off like melted
candle, while the higher ones leaped to
the branches and came down by the trunk
The whole troop then scampered off into
the chapperal and disappeared
WmAr is beauty' Not the show