Wichita eagle., 1888-07-25
THE MONKEY TRIBE.
Ex-CONSUl NICHOLAS PIKE GIVES
PASSAGES OF EXPERIENCE.
he Talks About Baboons-Thetr Clever
ness and Almost Human Traits-Shoot-
Sad Fate.

ing q Thief-ErcakS of q Pet Beboon-A
Sad Fate.
was calling on Col Nicholas Pike one
evening recently, when, our conversation
turning on the pecularities of the monkey
tribe, he gave me the following bits o. his
experience gained while United States con-
sui at Mauritius in the Indian ocean:
wv hen on the voyage to my post of duty
in the United States steamer Monocacy,"
said the colonel, I'VE called at the Cape Of
Good Hope | made pedestrian trip down
the coast. covering thirty to forty miles
While travelling along and making observa-
lions which would in any way aid NE IN the
study of natural history | came across a
Scotch missionary named Capt Miller, who
who the only white man for many miles. bis
neighbors being all Hottentots lie showed
me about the place, and WHEN he came TO his
garden said that IL unfortunate that all
the vegetables and fruit had been carried of
by the balloons He made up his mind at
one tine to put a stop to their depredations,
and so he erected matched hat overlooking
the garden and placed man in it with .
loaded rifle.
CARELESS THROUGH SUCCESS
''The balloons, however, were very cute
They would watch until the man went 70
dinner, and tGen they would post sentinels
while others of their number would seize Us
many ripe vegetables as they could carry
and make OF with them to their mountain
retreats. One day the balloons, having be-
come careless by success, were filing their
cheek pouches with pumpkins when the man
crept back to his lodge and, firing, wounded
one which stood about four feet high Capt
Miller told me that the scene which followed
the shooting was so painful TO him that be
made up his mind that he would never let
another one Of tho animals be killed If they
ate all his vegetables
"He said that the death agonies Of the
creature were exactly like a human being
lie looked up pitifully into my face, said
Capt. Miller, while his cries for help were 50
pitiful that felt as If / had been a party to
the commission Of n murder A short dis
tance from the house was high bluff, and
at the request of the missionary |
walked over there 10 witness what he
termed a woI.lerful sight, which truly
it was At distance we could see
a company Of balloons at play. By
looking through our glasses every movement
was distinctly discernlble. The little oBes
were sliding down a chute Ike those made by
passing logs down a mountain side They
would slide down on their posteriors, whila
the Older animals, probably their parents,
would stand with big sticks in their bands,
apparently enjoying the sport hugely. saw
in this same country a monster baboon be-
longing to a soldier in an English regiment
He had been taught many tricks By the sol
der, one Of which was To draw q cork from
q wine bottle and drink the contents They
provided a uniform for him, ir which he wa7
usually srrayed. He lived too high, how
ever. became very bloated and died Of an
affection Of the liver.
PET BABooy.
''N lie / was stationed at Port Louis a
French officer gave me baboon which we
considered quite pet He was silver gray
II color end very glossy. ] Eever could rs
certain the exact species To which he be-
longed, and he was certainly great cElrios
ity. He was quito young when captured,
but grew TO be about four feet high aud vary
stout AS he became older he became .
dangerous fellow 10 have around; for in
stance. be would 90 up into the bread trees
and pelt people whom be didn't know with
the bread fruit lie would also take up large
stones and hurl them with great force and
accuracy. / could always control hin By
merely shaking ny finger a. HIN and calling
his name, which was Jean Louis, but for
satety's sake placed an iron band around
his waist and tied him up when was not ca
hand 20 watch him lie would feel in NY
pockets for fruit when I came home. and
when he found any tho least Dit bruised or
dirty he would reject IL he was q gr-ss
iElI;atoT. Sitting by nv side Wide writing
be would take up the pen when / had go1s,
dip i. 10 the ink and scratch the pap.r, rr.ax-
ing . sorry mess Of whatever carostn lis
way. BE, too, would draw . cork arsI drink
TIE coutsn.s Of the bottle, be it wins or
brandy, but In was specially fond Of toe ia.>
tcr Re saw ne bore hoie with e girni@.,
ard Immediately initiated lie, and tie sAsos
With driving . nah
81 had . suit Ct clothes made for HIN, ID
seodiaz 20 bring hin 20 Arsgr.ca With ms
had not sad fase overtake1 hiz Ons day
ks took s.ors and hammered the iinks of
his chain Unit tsey wT. trokea He then
vz-6sred forth u}oa o mrar1i-g tor
Coming 70 Tia cz.hearaI, which -ss . frame
birding. he iooss0ed tie ciapboarSs ard
commenced TO rir tlsern OF Gle By Ca Ce:-
ting icGsds The boi.6iag, hs wen. izto ths
cE&oce! ard rrooeoted % tear Up The bible. {
TIE sexto, cAzns .n, tn-end1ng. 4 possible. Z,
sars :bs prcp--y from d@-r1ctAor, bit TO /
bahooa picked Up hynsa books AID p~l.ed /
hin with Esca scrcs t6s. hs ~ss slad % re- /
tree. Finally NJ Banoca &c. upon .lss /
rocs aid Began 20 tear OF the Ee-icEsex Tcs
ro,sce Q. Ga tz8c-zre fcTescs ,se3r rrrslv- /
e-z g: hin. and poor Jean Louis feil 20 TIA 7.
Earth dead tsoooa- They sas nc rurd /
TIA: be ~es corsmjRfarg dsr-etassc-s. bs. 4
oooid nos ~ 70 IN = tine % bring hia /