The new North-west., 1888-11-02
THE MONKEY TRIBE.
Ex-cONSuL NICHOLAS PIKE GIVES
PASSAGES OF EXPERIENCE.

He Talks About Baboons-Their Clever
ness and Almost Human Traits-Shoot-
ing a Thief-Freaks of Pet Baboon-A
Sad Fate.
was calling on Col Nicholas Pike one
evening recently, when, our conversation
turning on the peculiarities Of the monkey
tribe, he gave me the following bits of his
experience gained while United States con-
sui at Mauritius in the Indian ocean:
''When on the voyage to my post Of duty
in the United States steamer Monocacy,"
said the colonel, tive called at the Cape of
Good Hope. made pedestrian trip down
the coast covering thirty to forty miles.
While travelling along and making obserya-
tions which would in any way aid me in the
study Of natural history l came across q
Scotch missionary named Capt. Miller, who
who the only white man for many miles, his
neighbors being all Hottentots. He showed
me about the place, and when he came to his
garden said that it was unfortunate that all
the vegetables and fruit had been carried of
by the baboons He made up his mind ut
one time to put stop to their depredations,
and so he erected thatched hut overlooking
the garden and placed man in it with
loaded rifle.
CARELESS THROUGH SUCCESS
ssThe balloons, however, were very cute.
They would watch until the man went to
dinner, and then they would post sentinels
while others of their number would seize as
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 filling their
hn
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 he
made up his mind that he would never let
another one of the animals be killed if they
ate all his vegetables
ssHe said that the death agonies of the
creature were exactly like a human being.
He looked up pitifully into my face,' said
Capt Miller, while his cries for help were SO
pitiful that felt as if had been party to
the commission of murder A short dis
tance from the house was a high bluff, and
at the request of the missionary I
walked over there to witness what he
termed wonderful sight, which truly
it was. At q distance we could see
q company Of baboons at play. By
looking through our glasses every movement
was distinctly discernible The little ones
were sliding down chute like those madeby
passing logs down mountain side. They
would slide down On their posteriors, while
the older animals, probably their parents,
would stand with big sticks in their HANDS,
apparently enjoying the sport hugely. 1saw
in this same country monster baboon be-
longing to soldier in an English regiment.
He had been taught many tricks by the sol
der, one Of which was to draw q cork from
wine bottle and drink the contents. They
provided uniform for him, in which he was
usually arrayed. He lived too high, how
ever, became very bloated and died of an
affection Of the liver.
PET BABooN.
"N Lille I was stationed at Port Louis a
French officer gave me a baboon which we
considered quite pet. He was silver gray
in color and very glossy. l never could as
certain the exact species to which he be-
longed, and he was certainly great curios-
ity. He was quito young when captured,
but grew to be about four feet high and very
stout. As he became older he became
dangerous fellow to have around; for i'll
stance, he would go up into the bread trees
and pelt people whom he didn't know with
the bread fruit He would also take up large
stones and hurl them with great force and
accuracy l could always control him by
merely shaking my finger ut him and calling
his name, which was Jean Louis, but for
safety's sake placed an iron band around
| his waist and tied him up when was not on
hand to watch him. He would feel i'll my
pockets for fruit when came home, and
when he found any the least bit bruised or
dirty he would reject it. He was great
NV, Sis3 y.bi inf
| he would take up the pen when | had gone,
dip it in the ink and scratch the paper max
ing a sorry mess of whatever came in his
way. He, too, would draw cork and drink
the contents of the bottle, be it wine or
brandy, but he was especially fond Of the lat
| ter He saw mo bore a hole with q gimlet,
and Immediately initiated me- and the same
with driving nail
~ had suit of clothes made for Kim, in
tending to bring him 10 America with mt
| had not sad fate overtaken him. One day
he took q stone and hammered the links Of
his chain until they were broken. He the'
wandered forth upon marauding tour
Coming to the cathedral, which was a franc
building, he loosened the clapboar'ls ant
commenced to rip them off one by one. Get
ting inside the building, lie went into tho
chancel and proceeded to tear up the bible
The sexton came in, intending il possible, tt
save the property from destruction, but thu
baboon picked up hymn books and peltet
him with such force that he YVES glad to re
treat. Finally Mr.. Baboon got upon thu
roof and began to tear off the shingles. Thu
police at this juncture leveled their revolv
ers ut him, and poor Jean Louis fell to thu
earth dead baboon. They sent me wort
that he was committing depredations but
could not get to him in time to bring hin
under subjection. His dead body wa
brought and laid upon my veranda, and
looked like human corpse. l was sorry t
lose the animal, and had to provide ner
bible for the church and several hymn AM
prayer books. He was skinned and stuffed
and can now be seen in the Museum Of tn
Royal Society Of Arts and Sciences at Por
Louis.-"C. D. B." in Brooklyn Eagle.