The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-10-18
FRANKS OF MONKEYS,
A Traveller In India Relates Some of the
ComicaI sights by the Way.

wheeled some fourteen hundred
miles along the monkey-infested high
ways and saw some very curious sights,
saws a writer in the Youths Companion.
Sometimes the monkeys would file in
long strings across the road, close be-
hind one another, each one looking
anxiously behind, evidently very much
disturbed at the strange appearance OF
the bicycle.
Shining up the tall toddy palms or
eocoanut trees one after another, they
would hastily ensconce themselves
among the thick foliage and peer Curl
ously down at me as l wheeled past,
giving vent to their perturbation in ex-
cited cries. One day l remember Will
ing away an hour or so beneath
grove of sacred peepul trees watching
the amusing antics Of troop of monk
evs in the branches overhead.
Their marvellous activity was here
displayed to perfection, as they quar-
relied and chased one another from
troe to tree. The old ones seemed
passiyelv irritable and decidedly averse
to being bothered by the antics and
mischievous activity of the youngsters.
Taking possession of some particular
branch they warned away all wOuld-be
intruders with threatening grimaces
and feints.
The Youthful members of the party
were full of pranks, carried on to the
great ANNOYANCE of their more aged
and sedate relatives. These, in revenge,
put in no small portion of their time
furnishing or pursuing them with angry
cries for their deeds of wanton annoy
ance.
One monkey. that had very evidently
been there many and many time be-
fore on the same thievish errand, with
an amusing secrecy and roguIShness,
slipped quickly along a horizontal
bough, and thrust his arms into hole.
His eyes wandered guilty around.
as though expectant of detection and
punishment. This apprehension quick
| ly justified itself i'll the shape OF blue
| plumaged bird that fluttered anGrily
about the robbers head, and caused
him to beat Il hasty retreat.
Birds eggs were the booty he ex-
pected to find, and, methought IA ]
noted the number, mischievOusness,
and activity of the free-boOterS Ia
whom birds eggs would be the most
toothsome morsels, watchful, indeed,
must be the parent bird whose mater
nal ambition bore its legitimate fruit
ia this monkey-infestedg grove.
In me these monkeys seemed to
recognize possible dangerous enemy,
and at my first appearance they hasten.
ed to hide among the thickest foliage,
Peering cautiously down they yielded
themselves up to an excited chattering
and broad grimaces. After awhile
| they became somewhat reassured and
req arded me with less apprehension,
| The wild monkeys and the natives
seem to get along famously together
one often seeing them occupying th'
shade of the same tree,
In the valley of the Hooghly, down
toward Calcutta, my road sometimes
partook almost of the character of {
tunnel burrowing through mass O
| dense tropical vegetation. Cocoanu
and todiy palms mingled their feath
ery foliage with the dark green of tht
mango, the wild pomolo, giant BAN
boo. and other ingenious vegetation
/ characteristic of hot and humiC
/ climate, and big creepers swung from
i tree to tree and wound the mass in in
textricable confusion.
/ In this magnificent conservatory o
nature big, bIack-faced monkeys, witt
tails four feet long, romp and reve
through the streets, nimbly climl
the creepers. and thoroughly enjo!
their life amid the sylvan scenes abou
them. 1t was curious sight TO SCI
those big anthropoids, almost as larg
as human beings, swing themselve
| deftly up tine festooned creepers at m,
approach-to see their queer, impisl
black faces peering cautiously out o
their hiding places, and to hear thei
peculiar squeak of surprise and alarm
as they noted the strange character o
| my conveyance, the bicycle.