The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-26
THE MONKEYS OF GIBRALTAR.
Stories Which 1t Would DE n Crime TO
Throw Doubt Upon.
New York Times.

new YORK Times
A question that is put by almost all who
visit to Gibraltar is, where are all the mon
keys? There are various traditions regard
ing these creatures, and so much has been
query is a very natural one. Right across
the blue waters OF the strait Is Mount
Abyla, or Apes hill, one of the Pillars of
Hercules, and from there to Gibraltar there
is supposed to be a su~bterranean passage,
through which the monkeys pass on their
journey from Africa to Spain ana BACK
again.
If you ask a native of Gibraltar, a Rock
Scorpion, as he is Familiarity called, about
the apes he will tell you that there are a
number always to be seen early In the
morning and just before sunset, away up
near the top Of the rock. If yQu were 10
look incredulous or doubt this statement IN
the slightest degree he would nave as IN
Jured an air as the man whose statement
regarding the sea serpent Is not accepteu-
The locality designated as that Wnere tne
apes congregate is very craftily placeu
somewhat above the line where tourists
are allowed to wander, but field glasses
fail absolutely to reveal any specimens or
the monkey tribe.
The general commanding states that he
was very much surprised one morning 10
ma three OF them seated on the sue Oh ms
bathtub, and another member of his family
says that the household has been seVerai
times startled by hearing a terrible rafting
OF pebbles against the glass of the sky
light. Whether these stories go with the
quarters or not is, of course, too delicate a
matter TO doubt or discuss. Still another
general, VINO was SIat1On6U at one TIME dl
Gibraltar, in command of the troops, says
he was an early riser, and frequently came
in contact with the monkeys. They in
dulged IN games of leapfrog, playing with
the skill and agility of boys, but when dis
turbed would pelt the intruder with stones
and vanish, chattering most noisily and an
grily."
Still another visitor declares that while
visiting the galleries the monkeys rolled
down stones at the party, but that nobody
al the time was able TO see the ANIMALS.
The guides also speak of monkeys throwing
stones at them, but they say that they have
never seen any young ones about, and do
not believe that there are any. These
simians, if there are any, are protected by
English martial law. but would no doubt
being the only wild monkeys in Europe to
be allowed to pass in peace and ~quietness
to join their brethren in Morocco.
The stories about the mcnkeyS are very
numerous. and date away back TO the time
or the siege, as the following will prove:
when an attack was expected on the works
one dark night a sentry, whose post faced
the Spanish lines. was standing at the end
or his beat WhiStling away most merrily
and thinking OF his sweetheart on the hills
or green Erin. BY the side of his sentry's
box stood a deep-necked earthen jug, in
which was the remainder of his supper,
consisting of boiled peas: A large monkey;
allured by the smell of the peas, ventured
to the jug, and, endeavoring to get at it's
contents, thrust his head so far into the
neck as to be unable to withdraw it. At
this instant the soldier turned around and
began walking toward the box. The monkey.
unable to get clear of the jug. started up to
run off with it sticking on his head.
This terrible apparition no sooner saluted
the eyes. of the sentry than his frantic
imagination converted poor pug into a fine,
bloodthirsty Spanish grenadier, with a ire
mendous high cap on his head. Full of this
| idea, he instantly fired his piece, roaring out
that the Spaniards had scaled the walls.
The guard took the alarm, the drums were
beat, signal guns fired, and in less than ten
minutes the governor and his whole garri-
son were under arms. The supposed grena-
der, being very much by his
cap and almost blinded by the peas, was
soon overtaken and seized, and by his
capture the tranquility of the garrison was
restored without that slaughter and blood
shed which every man had prognosticated
in the beginning of the direful alarm.
| In spite of all this evidence, to the ordi-
nary visitor the Gibraltar monkey remains
fully as much of a myth as the Kraken OF
| P~ontoppidan.