Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-19
MONKEY KINGS AND LAWS.
The Intellectual Ability Of This AMI
NAL Greatly tnderrated.

MAI Nfe0ty Moderated.
From the London Standard.
1t is still an article of faith not only i'm
India, but in all lands where monkeys go in
packs. that they have a king. laws and Ian
guage, of course. Saving the first item, and
duly limiting the others, the belief is sound,
10 doubt But lben Batuta tells us, on the
authority of ''pious persons" he met in In
dia, that the king lives in state. -Four no.
oiemen always attend him with rods in
their hands and cooks serve him on Their
knees. Nikitin. the Russian traveller of the
ntteenth century, gives more details. The
king has train of armed followers"
W hen subject is caught he contrives to
send a message TO the sovereign, who forth
with dispatches an army. And when they
come 10 the town they pull down the houses
ana beat the people. and their armies, IL Is
said, are many" This is not quite so ri
diculous as il looks, for the sacred apes
that frequent an Indian village will really
gather to aVenge AN injury, and 1t is a
common practice with them TO destroy the
hut when angered. But il may have oc-
CURED to Nikitin that his statement was
too broad. He explains, therefore how
monkeys are caught with impunity. They
have a great many children. land when a
child is unlike its father and mother IL is
. thrown out on the high road. Thus they
are taken by the Hndoos, who teach them
every sort of handicraft, or sell them at
night, that they may not find their way
home. He mentions also that at Shabar
which appears TO have been somewhere
near Madras, people dare not travel at
night in the woods for fear Of mcnkeys-
which is certainly not exact, since these
creatures never move after shutdown: but
II there be a foundation OF truth in the
/ legend, IL is curious. We are not aware
that any Indian apes al this day will at
tack pasSer-by unless graVely provoked.
But there are plenty elsewhere that will
When diamonds were first discovered in
South Africa Europeans foclSirg TO that
thlnly peopled region became aware of an
annoyance not TO say danger. which they
had not reckoned among the chances Of the
journey. Many lonely kloof was frequent
ed by a tribe of apes. which dwelt among
the rocks above, and descended TO feed
mary DO sill, no doubt. but not on the
beaten tracks. In Sun Tier weather diggers
caTnped out ana started al Sunrise rested
during the heat ana Resumed in the late af-
ternoon-the feeding times. As often as not
the big male apes gathered promptly 10 de-
fend the pass We never heard OF a serious
accident on authority though plenty are re-
ported. The brUtes are not less formidable
in appearance than in fact, and when. at a
flight OF stones. they charge. roaring and
. screaming. travellers are rarely 50 STUPID "a
to face them. In 1871 there was a defle in
the district Of Albania which had been
closed by apes for several years. Neither
Beers nor English settlers willingly assail
them. owing. We understand. 70 a belief
that they aVenge themselves upon the crops
OF the aSgressor. Unless Mr.. Mansfield
PaTkyns exaggerated the Intelligence and
"a.
this notion is not so absuHd-if. as is al
ways probable. the aggressor's crops were
those nearer to the colony.
Mr.. Parkyns SAYS mat he often watched
them descending the rocks 10 feed The old
males go first-sUme Of them scout on either
flank. and all climb every eninence near the
line OF march to assure themselves that the
route Is safe. After accommodating they
give orders i'm such different tones OF voice
that each must have a special meaning. The
elders are silent when advancing. but the
main body, females and young. keep up an
lncessant chatter, playing and feeding as
they go, unless brought 10 an instantaneous
halt by signal. Behind follow the rear guard
of males, who drive loiterers on sharply. on
reaching the cornfield the scouts take posts
ali around. while all the rest fall 10 plum
dering with the utmost expedition. filling
their cheek pouches as full as they will
hold. and then tucking the heads OF corn
under their armpits." Mr.. Parkyns never
saw a scout leave his place where he can
not feed until the foray is over. and he re-
sumcs his duties on the homeward march.
Evidently they must be allowed a share OF
the booty carried off An unfailirfg instinct
tells them where to search for water. and
they dig for IL with their hands. one re-
heving another If the work be prolonged.
Leopards are the great enemy. but they
seldom dare attack a full-Erown animal
This species is not so pugnacious as the
south African. perhaps because food is
mere abundant and they are more familiar
with human beings. They withdraw at
sight of men. though they attack dogs and
sometimes women. if alone. Mr.. Parkyns
saw striking Instance Of their intelligence
at khartoum. 4 Snowman there told him
10 watch, and then led his ape toward a
basket of dates in the market. The crea-
tufe never looked at il, but while perform
ing edged closer and closer suddenly he
started up from the ground on which he
was lying. stretched like corpse. and ut
tering a cry Of pain or rage fixed his eyes
iuH on the face OF the date seller. and then.
without moving the rest Of his body. stole
rs many dates as he could hold in one OF
MS hind hands" The seller being stared
ont of countenancc, knew nothing Of H.
RMS was reason unquesiionably, and Of q
complex order