The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-12-30
4 MUTINY AMONG APES.
ON A VOYAGE FROM AFRICA THEY
CAPTURE THE SHIP.

From Their Case-A Comical Scene -
Tempted Back by Feast of Bananas.
81 have had some strange crews In
my experience" said old Captain BEN
son, "but the funniest kind OF ships
company that I ever sailed with was
one of big African apes, and 1t hap
pened in this way:
''It was during the period Of the
lifetime of the great Snowman, P. L.
Barnum, when he had his museum on
lower Broadway in New York city,
that my vessel was chartered by him
to go out to Africa and TO bring back
a cargo of wild animals that his agents
in that country had collected. We
had three big and two baby elephants
in the hold, also a rhinocerCs and q
giraffe, while in wooden houses on
deck We carried several zebras, num-
Der of antelope and deer, also ten
huge apes as large as men. The apes
were very intelligent and We're capa-
bic of being taught maDJ amusing
tricks.
Con our voyage home 1 had oc-
casion number of times to advise the
officers and men against teasing these
creatures, telling them that they were
known to possess a good memory and
were revengeful, and would surely
make it point to get even with their
tormentors at the first opportunity;
but as the heavy wooden bars divided
them from the hairy faces that scowled
at their fun-making, they felt safe
enough to give no heed to my warn
ings. The mates and sailors took
good care, however, to pass at safe
distance from their cage in going about
their work, for on two or three oc-
casions the alert occupants had been
known to suddenly thrust forth long
muscular arm and grip the unwary
seaman in such. savage way as to
elicit howl of pain on Jacks part. 1
could so among them without the
slightest fear, and several times en-
tered their cage for the purpose OF
caring for sickly little baby ape that
had been born just after leaving Africa,
and for which the ocean voyage subse-
quently proved too heroic, as it died
before we reached New York.
Zone morning the crew were all
aloft on the yards furling sail, for it
was blowing hard and the ship had
been obliged to reduce her spread OF
canvas. had taken the wheel and
the two mates were going from mast to
mast helping the work along by haul
ing upon the gear as it was required.
The apes had been fed short time be-
fore and it must have been that 1 had
carelessly fastened the bar that Sc
cured the cage door, for while was
looking aloft / heard a startled yell
from my two officers, aud the next mo-
ment they were climbing up the rig
ging like monkeys themselves, while
the crowd of monkeys came leaping
aft in pursuit of them.
tThen the funniest scene that ever
witnessed was presented. Six of the
apes took stations at the foot of the
shrouds, so that each mast was guarded
on both sides, and the other four
mounted the shrouds with all the
agility of sailors, and sought to reach
the men. The apes followed the men
as they mounted higher and higher to
escape; then, when the latter could
climb no higher, they would grasp o
stay that led to some place of tempo
rary safety and slide down it, some
times going from one spar to another
in this way. For nearly an hour this
impromptu exhibition continued, and
during all this time the sentries on
deck hoped about in excitement, ut
tering cultural yelps, which have no
doubt were cries of encouragement
and advice to their friends aloft.
cat last the big monkeys gave up
the chase and came down on deck,
where they joined the others, and all
sat on their launches, gazing up at
the crew, occasionally showing their
rows of wicked looking teeth, as much
as to say, call right, my fine fellows;
YOU Stdy Wuclo you aio IL you hno"
what's good for your health
81 had been thinking out plan to
recover possession of my ship, and
now put it into execution. Apes are
very fond of bananas, and in my room
1 had q fine bunch that had been green
when placed on board, but which had
ripened perfectly since that time. 1t
gave me something of heart spasm
to part with them, but I considered if
the scheme worked the sacrifice would
not be great one. So I lashed the
wheel to keep the ship steady, then
brought the fruit from below, carried
it forward in full view of the apes, and
placed it within their cage, standing
beside the door and carelessly eating
a banana which I had broken from
the bunch.
''The apes crowded inside and fell
to work upon those bananas as though
it was an eating match, with prize
for the one that consu.ned the great
est number in a given time. I
slammed the door to and fastened it
upon my mutineers, and you may be
assured that for the remainder of that