The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-06-07
PROM Chambers Edinburgh journal.
THE MONKEY "AT HOME"


THE MONKEY "AT HOME"
The carcworn manikins IN fnntastic ,lrcss-
es, met With in the society Of men wearing
ear-rings aud carrying harrcl-orgAnE, or the !
snug nuteracking inmates of geological /
Gardens, give very poor idea of what the
monkey Is "at home" Quadrumaniiy, 20 bo
studied with advantage, must be seen ia IL
native iorrs,-, leading the easy vaFaboud ex-
istenee Il has enjoyed for countless genera
tons; there only are all H. faculties called in
10 full play. The monkey in captivity is no
more The monkey at home than the oser-fed
paupcr i the cntorpnsng Enplishman; tn he
out Of the reach Of want or danger, is to have
no motive for cxertion-a condition equally
INJURIOUS 10 men and monkeyss
la the wide spread forests OF India the
monkey has duties and conditions attached 70
his existence which the poor captive knows
nothing oc As an individual he must search
Tor hi- own fool, and keeps sharp lookout
that neither tigcrs, leopards nor pyihnns
make meal Of him; he must look Aner bis
, wife and child, aud protect or warn them Of
similar dangers, and then, as member Of
a communists more or less extensive, he must
r prepared 20 yfrirrrii rofrnrur'- he'rtfr--
ground against the incursious Of alien tribes.
His information, too, Is extensive; he Is well
acquainted With the vegetable productions Of
the country; be has wen an idea Of the rata
ton Of crops he knows that at such a time
and in such place the juicy calyN OF the mo-
haw blossom will just be- in season; that the
nangocs in another plare will be beginning
to be edible; he knows where the most cxteh'
sivc and least protected fields Of sugar-csne
are 10 be mot With, and when the dry wealth
or has set in, and water seems TO have disaP-
ipcarcd from the face OF the eauntry he knows
where the quick frcsh~- arc.
There are people who profess an utter
want of sympathy with monkeys NASTY
dixRuzling eariratnlra Gf humanity ili4-a zii-
for my part NEVER could feel or iUjagine
disgust at thcir drollcries, and / don't think
my pride was ever hurt by the caricature; on
the contrary, have always fclt great pleas
urc in studying monkey character wherever
/ could.fnd an opportunity,
L
the frst time, saw monkeys q. home, Al
ter weary, uncomfortable night OF jolnng,
opened the shutters of my palanquin, in the
dim gray light of an Indian daybreak, and on
the roadside, not six yards from me, were a
bout score Of monkeys, with such an air OF
sclfp possessed freedom about them that iel
rather abashed at meeting, IN negligoe COS
} tune the gaze of so many respectable aborig
T inies. Some were sitting on the grass inhal
ing the fresh breeze Of the morning, other
Mere sauntcring about. aud aH had that indus
! cribabie air OF citizenship about them iha
made me feel that I was the only stranger
p The old fellows were ugly enough; but th'
fcmales, particularly such as had babigs Il
, the brrast, had kindly look Of maternity a
, bout them, which it was impossible TO avoi'
e liking. As the day wore on, was gettiuI
: deeper into the Jungle, and there were lie
gions of monkeys. Sometimes encountere'
5 a party of between thirty and forty seated il
the middle OF the road, and looking at the al
: vancing cortege of my palanquin, just as
group of villagers regard coach-and-si'
; when it happens To disturb the quiet of thci
; everyday existence. Sometimes my rout
, iay through the centre Of village, and her
again the monkeys seemed as mulch at hom
as in the forest, wandering about from ont
: housetop to another, and crossing the street
with the easy familiarity Of inhabitants
! Curious. IL was too, 20 behoele crowd OF ma
ked children running about under the shad
ow of mango grove, and, almost jostSn;
them, party ofyoung monkeys chasing eael
Sther through the chequered shade; or at th'
root VI some big tree, TO come upon three o.
four ative women seated the one behind th'
other,SacH engasrd in scrudniring her neigh
bor's head; and little father oman old mon
key lying va his back, with his legs stretch
ed out in the sun, aud another overhaulinl
him with that look of serious responsibility
which only monkey can express when EN-
gagged in such pursuit.
From the many religious traditions con.
, nected with their monkeys, the natives OF
Hindoostan are averse from killing or injur
: inn them, even when forbearance costs then
dear. The consequence Of this immunity Il
a degreo Of reckless impudence on the par
:. of the ruoukeysthat would never be tolerated
elsewhere They crowd together on the
roof Of the bazaars,, il the shopkeepers be
mot on the watrh, they make no seruPle Of
helping themsslyss (vithout q thought OF
Ipaymont) to all the on oles they can hay their
hands on
The only means Of keeping them al a dis
l.anee is 10 cover the roof Of the chop with