The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-03-07
Pet Monkey on Board Ship.

Pet Monkey on Board Ship.
Some years ago, just before the Rus.
sian war, there was on board her maies-
tvs ship Belerophon an ape, which be.
longed to the Captain. Like all tho rest
OF his tribe he was very fond of mischief,
and therefore was kept chained by his
waist to a kennel in which he resided.
This he used to drag about with him on
the main deck, where he was kept, always
taking care to hold the chain in one hand
to keep the strain off his belt. He was
very fond of sitting before the galley fire,
warming himself, sometimes much to the
inconvenience OF the cooks who, how
ever, were on very good terms with him
in general. He saved them a good deal
of trouble at last, for one day, finding the
galley quite clear Jacko tried his hand
at cooking, and very nearly succeeded in
producing dish ct boiled monkey. A
kettle was izzing away merrily, and of
course Jacko began to examine it with
his hands, and the resul. was he turned
the boiling water over himself He was
on the sick list for some time afterward,
and lost good deal of hair and some
skin. He could not bear the sight of a
kettle after that, and the cooks found il
out so when Jacko got in the way they
used to show him kettle (full or empty
this was quite enough to start him of
Tor an hour or so. He nearly came to
grief once with another experiment One
cold night he found the oven door open,
and though the fire was out the oven was
warm. oh, no thought Jacko, here are
snug quarters at all events, so in he
walked, unporceived, and was soon com.
tortably asleep. BY and by the cook
came and lighted the fire, and not know
ing .here was stranger on the premises
he shut the oven door When the fire
grew brisk most extraordinary noise
emanated from the oven when the door
was opened by the sentry-who thought
his sable majesty was in it-out jumped
Jacko, grinning and chattcring at tre-
mendous rate, no doubt feeling unpleas.
antly hot. He never tried that sleeping
apartment again. After time he hit
upon another and safer way Of keeping
himself warm at night. He discovered
that by standing on the top rail Of the
sheep pens he could reach the fowl coops
which were hung to the beams above
them. Up he went, and watched till a
fowl put its head out between the bars,
Jacko at once made grab and pulled
the unfortunate fowl out by the neck
Finding the fowl was warm he dragged
his kennel back to his place before the
fire, taking his game with him, and there
he slept all night, with the bird in his
arms like baby. Next morning, wher
the fire was lighted. out he came with bis
living blanket He allowed the fowl tC
walk about, but the moment it showed
signs of going out of reach of his arm he
pulled it back again, and gave it fresh
start and so on, till the fowl was returned
to the coop. After that Jacko often took 9
fowl to bed with him, aud, strange 10 say
he never did them anv harm, though the
process Of being dragged through the bars
could not have been pleasant for the vic
tim. The officers used to smoke near the
galley, and Jacko was very fond of get
ting inside our monkey jackets in colo
weather. He was very fond Ct smoking
too, but we could not teach him to draw t5t
smoke. We used to put the stem of pipt
IN bis mouth and blow down the bowl, ant
he would smack his lips over the smoke
l am sorry to say he now and then go
drunk when the grog was being served out
He was very amusing when in that state
but | think the poor fellow had bat
headache afterward. On the whole, h,
was a good tempered animal, bat he haC
a great dislike to some of the boys, who
no doubt, had given him a sly blow nov
and then. By way of revenge jack
used to look out under the ladder whel
the boys we're bringing down their ham
mocks in the evening and suddenly poune
upon one Of the hammocks. The un
lucky owner, knowing that Jacko coul'
bite, as q rule would drop the hammock
and thereupon Jacko would sit on it, an
grin and chatter and jump till he wa
tired, when he would give up possession
without farther trouble. OF course noV
and then he got loose, and then there wa
a grand hunt. One day he disappsare
for some time and no one knel
where he was, as he kept quite quiel
which was not usually the case AT las
one of the clerks went into the Office
which was under the poop, and no soone
did he open the door than he saw Mastc
Jacko going out Of the window, whic
had been lef. open, and by which he ha
got in. He had been making up tn
ships books in his own fashion. The IN
was splashed about all over the plac,
and Jacko himself was nearly as black q
an Ethiopian serenader. He did not 2
empty handed, however, for he took th
Articles Of War in his hand, and of cours
he took to the rigging. "Boys, cate
monkey " was the boatswain's mate
pipe but before he was captured tn
Articles Of War were torn to shred
Fortunately for the discipline of the shi
there were other copies on board. l bt
lieve poor Jacko was at last killed in th
attack on Sebastopol; but left the shiI
SO | cannot be sure about his end.