The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-05-31
a Sllip-load Of Monkeys.

very funny occurrence, which came
under his observation during his official
residence III Liverpool. A wealthy ship
owner, who was better at making money
than at spelling, sent an order to Bonn
bay, and among other things wrote for
two monkeys, which he wanted to pre-
sent to friends; but departing from the
usual mode of spelling the word two, he
put it too. Perhaps the handwriting was
not very legiblc, as is often the case with
other than illitcrate ship-OwncrS. At
any rate, the master Of the ship read it
lOO instead of too, and SO did the agents
at bombay. There was much astonish
mcnt at SO strange an order, but the
master was bound to obey instructions,
| Accordingly The service of Il number of
natives were secured, tho country round
| about was secured, and in Il few days a
hundred monkeys, of all cOlors and pre-
Vlous conditions, were secured. There
were little black monkeys, with eyes like
beads, bigger monkeys with whiSkerS,
and babb00nS whose grave expression of
countcnancc presented 4 ridiculous con-
trast to their undignificd antics. The
whole crowd chattered, screamed, and
fought in the cage which had been pro-
vldcd for them in the ship, in spite of
all efforts to keep them quiet. LII Il few
days the homeward voyage was begun,
and with it the troubles of the crew.
as soon as the motion of the ship was
felt, the monkeys redoublrd their noise,
making a regular pandcmonium of the
ship. Relays of them shook the bars of
the cage without Il moments ccsS;lt ion
for twenty-thrcc hours out of each twcn-
ty-(our, until thccagc was literally shak-
Ell to pieces, and the aStonishcd sailors
behcld \ cloud of monkeys issuing from
the hold, scrambling, fighting, and tum-
bling over each other as if their lives
depended upon getting into the rigging
in the shortest possible time The mon
keys, with miScllicv0uSneSS 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 attainablc and pick
them to pieces. 1t was necessary to set
guard over every thing that was wash-
Ell 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 scarcely he turned before an old
ape, half as big as man, would have it,
gong through the motion of sweeping
the deck with an air of indcScribable gra-
vity. So great was. the annoyance That
it was with great difficulty That the Off
GERS could keep the men from shooting
their tormento%, am;! when the ship
touched at Alden half Of the crew desert
ed, prcierring to take their chances at
this mhosptable place than to endure
further persecution.
Finally the ship reached home. She
had been signalcl at Lands End, and
the owner was ut the dock when she ar
| rived, ShipowncrS generally pride them
| selves on the trim appearance of their
ships, and our friend was weak in this
respect, if in no other. What then was
his astonShmcnt to see the ships rigging
crowded with knots or punches, with
here and there fcStOon where several
monkeys had suspended themselves from
| Il spar in Il string, holding each other by
the tail! Everybody about the docks
viewed with wonder the approaching
spectacle. The ship moved slowly to
her berth, and presently her yard arms
ncarcd those of several other vessels
lying ut dock. IN an instant the mon
keys lcapcd from one to the other, and
began tour among the forests of masts
That fringcd the harbor Of Liverpool.
All tho boys and idlers around the dock
were engaged, and grand hunt ensued
up and down the rigging from ship TO
ship, until all were captured.
The owner was furious, but was, after
Il while, Modified by an explanation, and
the difficulty satisfactorily adjusted.
The monkeys were gradually sold off,
realizing Il profit OF about fifty dollars
above what they had cost.