Evening star., 1898-09-17
TROOPS OF MONKEYS
The Havoc They Cause and How the Natives
Break Them Up.
Strategy to Capture the Big GOtha,
who Gets His Head
Lathered.


Monkeys are an unrnitigated nuisance,
especially in the country. l have often
come across in the jungles adjoining the
villages of northern Bengal whole troops of
them, whose depredations In fields and or
chards were the despair of the unfortunate
villagers These troops always consisted of
one huge mals and about 100 females. The
fact is, when little monkey is born in the
pack, It is suffered to live If female. but
instantly killed by the father if it happens
to be male. The mother, however. some
times 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 in
dividual males are to be found living by
themselves in single blessedness. Now, get
ting tired of solitude after a time, and per-
haps believing in union as a source of
strength, these bachelors often join to-
gether and form a pack of their own-as
sort of club.
Then the fun begins. They want wives
very naturally. But how are they to get
them? All the female monkeys of the coun-
try belong to the harem of some big brute
or other. Clearly, the only solution is to
attack such harem, kill the gotha the
aforesaid big brute), and then divide the
spoils. So an ultimatum is sent-and re-
jeCted. War is declared. The battle Is a
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-sometines in a village green, or
even an orchard of some country mansion.
In the actual fight the females generally re-
main faithful to their lord and master, and
help him fiercely against his numerous as
sailantS. But the result is q foregone con-
clusion, and the several widows, after a
very short period Of mourning-usually
manifested by show of il-temper-are
consoled by the victorious males.
Now. these battles cause sad havoc to the
fields and orchards of the country and
often prove positive danger to the people,
Tor, though monkeys seldom attack men,
woe to the luckless one who ventures to
come near them in their deadly struggle.
moreover, when pressed by hunger. these
packs not to be trified with. You may
not mind even the damage done to your
orchard by hundreds of monkeys gcbbling
up everything they can lay their hands on:
put 1t is quite different matter when you
nave 10 shut your doors and windows and
stay in for days at a 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 dictates of
conscience, but capture is not especially as
the monkey is liberated in a short time, as
Will appear presently. So when a pack is
about the natives employ the following
method: Close to an orchard a bit of level
space is selected and hole dug in 1t, about
two feet deep and six eight inches in
diameter A moose is made at one end of d
OF the hole The cord is then passed through
a pulley or ring attached to a tree close
10 the house, and the other end held some
distance away by concealed person. The
moose and about ten or fifteen feet of the
cord are covered with sand. Then nice
tempting banana is placed in the hole, and
number of rotten ones-covered. however,
with fresh skins-are strewn all over the
ground near the hole.
w hen the pack comes the fema les are too
shy 70 venture out into the open space near
the house. But the big gotha is a brave
fellow. He sees the bananas on the ground
leaps down, takes UP one, throws it away
in disgust. Then another, with the same
result. Suddenly he notices the nice, tempt
ing one in the hole and pIunges his arm in:
Immediately the cord is pulled, the moose
fastened on the arm close to the shoulder,
and the monkey dragged willy-niily to the
tree where the pulley or ring is attached.
Then the hiding shikari comes forth. and,
cirCiing round and round the tree with the
cord held tight in his hand, binds the un-
fortunate monkey safe and fast, all but the
head. The pulley or ring is introduced not
merely to bind the monkey to the tree but
also because 1t would be highly dangerous
TO drag the infuriated brute right up 10
person.
The monkey, however, is not killed. In
stead they lather his head and face, no
special care being taken in selecting the
finest soap or the purest water. The opera
tion is an interesting one and source of
great amusement-to the bystanders. The
monkey, however, lodges his head about
only to get d good dose of soap in his ewes
and mouth. Then he has enough of it, es-
pecially 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 as a billiard ball, and then the face
as well. nice and smooth, like a babys
Then they let him go. But, alas! such is
tho vanity of life. His wives will not have
him now that his beauty is gone. They
dlsoWn him completely; cut him dead Nay,
they drive him away from the pack with
contumely, with the ends of their tails
in the absence Of domestic broonsticks
And thus being without a leader, the pack
Is soon broken up.