Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1898-11-11
MONKEYS OF.INDIA.
THE HAVOC THEY CAUSE eY THEIR
WARS FOR WIVES.

THE HAVOC THEY CAUSE sY THEIR
WARS FOR WIVES.
Laughable Tactics Employed BY the
Natives to Disperse the Belligerent
P~acks-Idttle Chance For Male Mon.
keys at Birth.
Monkeys in India are an unmitigated
nuisance, especially in the country. I
have often come across in the jungles
adjoining the villages Of northern Benz
gal whole troops Of them, whose depre-
dations in fields and orchards were the
despair Of the unfortunate villagers.
These troops always consisted Of one
huge male and about 100 females The
fact is, when q little monkey is born in
the pack, it is suffered to live il a fe.
male, but instantly killed by the father
II 1t happens to be q male. The mother,
however, sometimes manages to hide
the little one until he is able to get
about and then sends him away before
the big male catches sight Of him. In
this way it often happens that indi-
vidual males are to be found living by
themselves In single blessedness. Now,
getting tired Of solitude after q time
and perhaps believing in union a. q
source Of strength, these bachelors often
join together and form a pack Of. their
own-as q sort Of club
Then the fun begina They want
wives-very naturally. But how are
they to get them? All the female
monkeys Of the country belong to the
harem Of some big brute or other.
Clearly, the only solution ia to attack
such q harem, kill the gotha (the afore.
said big brute), and then divide the
spoila. So an ultimatum is sent-and
rejected. War is declared. The battle
Is q fierce one and often lasts several
days The party attacked always tries
to retreat and often traverses several
jungles. fields and even villages. But
the pursuit Is hot and vigorous, and at
last q stand has to be made-sometimes
in a village green or even an orchard of
some country mansion. In the actual
fight the females generally remain
faithful to their lord and master and
help him fercely against his numerous
a~ssailanta. But the result is a ~foregone
conclusion, and the several widows,
after q very short period Of mourning
usually manifested by . show Of ill
temperate consoled by the victorious
males.
Now, these battles cause sad havoc to
the fields and orchards of tho country
and often prove a positive danger to the
people, for. though monkeys seldom at
tack men, woe to the luckless one who
ventures to come near them in their
deadly struggle. Moreover, when pressed
by hunger, these packs are not to be
trifled with. You may not mind sven
the damage done to your orchard by
hundreds Of monkeys gobbling up every
thing they can lay their hands on. but
1t is quite a different matter when you
have to shut your doors and windows
and stay in for days at q time because of
the army outside.
Consequently the object Of the natives
is to break up these packs by capturing
their leaders. Killing is against the die.
tates Of conscience, but capture is not,
especially as the monkey is liberated in
q short time, as will appear presently:
So. when q pack is about, the natives en-
ploy the following method: Close to an
orchard q bit of level space is selected
and q hole dug in it, about Q feet deep
and @ or 8 inches in diameter. A moose
Is made at one end Of a long, stout cord
and placed over the mouth Of the hole.
The cord is then passed through o pulley
or ring attached to q tree close to the
house and tho other end held some dis
tance away by q concealed person. The
moose and about 10 or Is feet Of the
cord are covered with sand. Then q nice,
tempting banana is placed in the hole,
and a number Of rotten undiscovered,
however, with fresh skins-are strewn
all over the ground near the hole.
When the pack comes, the females
are too shy to venture out into the open
space near the house, but the big gotha
is q brave fellow. He sees the bananas
on the ground, leaps down, takes up one,
throws it away in disgust, then another,
with the eame result. Suddenly he no
tices the nice, tempting II in the hole,
and plunges his arm in. Immediately
the cord is pulled, the moose fastened
on the arm close to the shoulder and the
monkey dragged willy nilly to the tree
where the pulley o. ring is attached.
Then the hiding shikari comes forth,
and, circling round and round the tree
with the cord held tight in his hand,
binds the unfortunate monkey safe and
fast, all but the head. The pulley OK
ring is introduced not merely to bind
the monkey to the tree, but also because
it would be highly dangerous to drag
the Infatuated brute right up to a per.
son.
The monkey, however, is not killed.
Instead they lather his head and face,
no special care being taken in selecting
the finest soap or the purest water. The
operation is an interesting one and a
source Of great amusement-to the by
ISLANDERS. The monkey, however, lodges
his head about, only to get a good dose
Of soap in his eyes and mouth. Then he
has enough Of II, especially as he feels
dreadfully achy all over and the cords
cutting into his body every inch-to
say nothing of the personal remarks and
the highly adjectival language Of the
bystanders. He submits to his fate with
eastern stoicism. His head is shaved
clean az a billiard ball, and then the
face Is we'll, nice and smooth, like q
baby's. Then they let him go. But alas,
such is the vanity of life, his wives
will not have him now that his beauty
ia oono Thav disown him cornD1atoIv