The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-11-08
A Ship-lOad Of Monkeys.

An American Consular officer, now
in Washington on leave of absence, re-
lates a very funny occurrence which
came under his observation during his
official residence in Liverpool. A sue
cessful and wealthy shipOwner, having
! devoted more time to the business Of
money-making than to the unnecessary
embellishments of the intellect, was
considered by his business associates a
little ''off'' in his photography. He sent
an order to Bombay, and, among other
things, wrote for two monkeys, which
he wanted 10 present to some friends;
but, departing from the usual mode OF
spelling the word tlCO, he put it too.
Perhaps the handwriting was rot very
legible, as is often the case with others
than illiterate shipowners. At any rate
the master of the ship read it 100, as
did also the agent in Bombay. There
was much establishment at so strange
an order, but the master was bound to
obey it. Accordingly the services of a
number of natives were secured, the
country round about was secured, and
in few days a hundred monkeys of all
colors and previous conditions were Sc
cured. There were little black monkeys
with eyes like beads, bigger monkeys
with whiskerS, and balloons whose
grave expressions of countenance pre-
scented a ridiculous contrast to their un
dignifed antics. The whole crowd
chartered, screamed, and fought in the
cage which had been provided for them
in the ship in spite of all efforts to keep
them quiet. In few days the home
ward voyage was commenced, and with
it the troubles of the crew.
As soon as the motion of the ship was
felt the monkeys redoubled their noise,
making regular pandemonium of the
ship. Relays of them shook the bars Of
the cage without a moments hesitation
for % hours out of each "a, until the
cage was literally shaken to pieces, and
the astonished sailors beheld a cloud of
monkeys suddenly issuing from the hold,
scrambling, fighting, and tumbling over
each other, as if their lives depended
upon getting into the rigging in the
shortest possible time. From that mo-
ment poor Jack had not a moments
peace. The monkeys, with mischieY-
! business unparalleled, would steal every
thing they could lay their hands on. If
clothes were hung up to dry they would
carry them up to the highest point at
tainable and pick them to pieces. 1t
was necessary to set guard over every
thing that was washed or dried. When
the cabin-boy swept the deck he had to
! lock up the broom, for if he hid it ever
so securely his back would be scarcely
turned before an old ape, half rs big as
a man, would have it going through the
motion of sweeping the deck with an air
of Undesirable gravity. So great was
the annoyance that it was with the great
est difficulty that the officers could pre-
vent the men shooting their tormentors,
and when the ship touched at Alden
half of the crew deserted, prefering to
take their chances at this inhOSpitable
place than to endure the prosecutions of
the monkeys.
Finally the ship reached home. She
had been signaled at Lands End, and
the owner was at the dock when she an
rived. Shipowners generally pride
themselves on the trim appearance of
their ships, and our friend was weak in
this respect, if in no other. What then
was his establishment to see his ships
rigging crowded with knots or punches,
with here and there festoon where sew
eral monkeys had suspended themselves
from spar in string, holding each
other by the tail! Every body about
the docks viewed with wonder the APP
preaching spectacle. The ship moved
closely to her berth, and presently her
yardarms neared those of several other
vessels lying at the dock. In an instant
the monkeys leaped from one to the
other, and began tour among the
forest of masts that fringed the harbOr
of Liverpool All the boys and idlers
around the dock were engaged, and a
grand hunt ensued, up ana down the
rigging from ship to ship, all over the
harbor. They were finally captured.
The owner was furious, but was, after
awhile, Modified by an explanation over
bottle of wine, and the difficulty salts
factorily adjusted. The monkeys were
gradually sold off, realizing profit of
about f10 $500 above all costs. But
the master of the ship declared that he
never wanted to sail another voyage
with cargo of live monkeys
Hartford Times.