American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1855-03-08
From India and its Inhabitant.1
A CHAPTER ON MONKEYS.


q During the fruit seasons, was much
annoyed by monkeys: whole tribe of the
species, called ring tailed, came in from
!, the jungles, and devoured all the fruit they
could seize. When erect, they were as
high as common sized man; and the a.
4 gility which they displayed was truly as
tonishing. Behind my premises there was a
long building formerly usedas, arope walk,
the flat roof of which was their favorite
! place of resort to gambol and chatter
/ When European approached the spot,
they would instantly ascend to the top of
some almond trees in their vicinity; but if
native came quite near to them, they took
| no more notice Of him than if he had been
one of their own species. ....t-
One of these monkeys became quite IA
'miliar with the shop keepers in the bazaar,
and would help himself plentifuliy to rice,
fruits, &c. l was much amused, one day,
to hear sweetmeat merchant thus expos
tulate with him: "My brother, you know
| am poor man; do not take my sweet
meat balls; take them from other shops:
there is a rich man over the way; he has
plenty of rupees; go to him. Nay, nav,
brother, that is too bad" the monkey
having Just crammed great ball Of sweet
meat into his iaws;) Il cannot afford SO
much: indeed, my brother, | cannot. y
And the poor shopkeeper, apparently very
much against his inclination, used bam-
boo to guard his property. The same an
imal played me trick soon after. that
might have eproved of serious consequence.
l wasriding through the bazaar on horse
back, when he caught hold of my horses
tail, and began to pull first to one side and
then to the other. had no whip, and he
was long armd. powerful creature: the
horse struck at him, but he maintained his
hold without being kicked; and in this
manner we proceeded considerable dis
tance, the horse becoming more violent in
his kicking and rearing, andathe monkey
more actiyein his pulling, until my syce,
having procured bamboo, assaild the en-
envy in the rear, when he took refuge ON
the roof of bonyan's shop. | have seen
these monkeys seize the sacred OK by the
tail, and give it sudden and powerful
twist, when he would run off at a full gal
lop, roaring with pain and fright,
| A friend whose premises adjoiped mine,
had litter of pigs in sy raised upon
posts, to secure it from the attacks of jack
ais and foxes, but it was not outof the
reach of monkeys. Hearingan unusually
loud and uproarious commotion in this ele-
vated habita;ion oflittle grunters, we hast
ened to ascertain the cause, and found chat
monkey had seated himself astrde the
mother, and with one of her ears firmly
grasped in each hand, was riding in fine
style around the sty. The servants shout
ed, and he made his retreat, but not with
out taking with him one of the offspring
of his nag. Holding itby the hind legs,
be mounted to the top of a tall cocoa nut
tree, and then very deliberately placed his
prisoner under his arm, and began 10 turn
] its tail round and round, las music-grinders
turn the handle ofthe hand organ; and at
every turn this living instrument of music
sent forth loud and piercing notes, which
were responded to in various tones from
the sty. The servants began TO pelt him
with stones, which caused him TO leap from
tree to tree;but finding himself embarrass-
ed by the weight he carried he threw the
pig into the air, and as it fell Fifty orsixty
feet, it was instantly killed.
| These monkeys become so audacious
thatit was unsafe to leave any thing por
table about the premises. A very large
dog, belonging to gentleman in the neigh
borhood, used occasionally to give chase
to any of them thathe found alone at dis
tance from the trees; but one day, as he
was running after a small one that came
down to the river Sides large ones left the
tree to attack him. First one and thenan-
other would lay hold Of his tail, and swing
him around, then, .grasping his neck, bite
his ears; and in consequence Of the great
length of their arms, it was in vain that he
attempted to retaliate. One Of them at
length grasped his throat SO tightly that,in
a short lime, he would have been killed,
had | not gone to his rescue. Taking a
gun in my hand, l went toward the scene
of action, and in moment the monkeys
were far enough away; but the poor dog
was SO terribly bitten that for many days
itappeared improbable that he, would ie-
cover, anu Wnen dDle W run aDOuLl again,
we never could induce him 10 chase anon
key. y =. ~. ~ '.i ,,.,. - +,
One morning, little boy, about eight
years ofage, was going to school with a
bunch of plantains in his hand, to be eaten
at.tihin: these did not escape the watchful
eve of large monkey yperched upon an al
mond tree near the road, Making a rapid
though circuitous movement to gain the
rear, Jaeko soon came, up withthe object
of his pursuit, and jumping between the
bearer and the boy, he put his long arms
around the child's neck, and seized the
plantains. The bearer screamed, and fed
to adistance; but the child, though terribly
alarmed, maintained his rights manfully for
considerable time, clinging to his plan
tains with all his might; but Jacko was not
to be disappointed giving the boy blow
on, the head, he knocked him down, and
bore off the plantains in triumph. pa,4
/ The propensity Of the monkey to retain
+ whateverhe grasps is often taken adyan;
i agea of to capture. Two large bunchesloi
> plantains are put into two narrow-necked
jars, and plated where they will attract his