Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-12-06
MONKEYS OF INDIA.
THE HAVOC THEY CAUSE ey THEIR
WARS FOR WIVES.

THE HAVOC THEY CAUSE BY THEIR
WARS FOR WIVES.
Lasshable Tactics Empioyed BY the
Natives % Dispcrse the BelliGerent
Parks-Littie Chance Fer Male Mss. |
keys ~ Birth.
Monkeys In India are an unmitigated
nuisance, especially in the country.
have often come across in the jungles |
adjoining the villages Of northern Ben
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 little monkey Is born in
the pack, il il suffered 20 live IL q fe-
male. but instantly killed by the father
IL it happens to be male The mother.
however. sometimes manages to hide
the little Que until he is able to get
about and then sends him away before
the big male catches sight Of him. In
this way 1t often happens that indi.
vidual males are TO be found living by
themselves In single blessedness. Now.
getting tired Of solitude after time
and perhaps believing in union as a
source Of strength, these bachelors often
Join together aud form 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 harem. kill the gotha (the afore'
said big brute). aud then divide the
spoils So an ultimatum Is sent-and
rejected War Is declared. The battle
is fierce one and often lasts several
days The party attacked always tries
TO retreat and often trnverses several
jungles, fields and even villages But
the pursuit is hot and vigorous, and at
last stand has to be made-sometimes
in u village green or even an orchard OF
some country mansion. In the actual
fight the females generally remaiL
faithful to their lord and master and
help him fercely against his numerous
assailants But the result is foregone
conclusion. and the several widows,
after very short period Of mourning
usually manifested by show Of i'll
temperate conso!ed by tho victorious
males
Now. these battles cause sad havoc TO
the fields and orchards OF the country
aud often prove q 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. ,hese packs ARE not TO be
trifled with. You may not mind even
the damage done to your orchard by
hundreds Of monkeys gobbling up every
thing they can lay their hands on, but
II Is quite different matter when You
have to shut your doors and windows
and stay i'm for days ut time because ct
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 captnie is not,
especially ms the monkey Is liberated in
q short time, ~ will appear presently
so, when pack is about, the natives em.
ploy the following method: Close to an
orchard bi. Of level space Is selected
and hole dug in il, about 2 feet deep
and or inches in diameter. A moose
is made at one end Of long, stout cord
and placed over the mouth of the hole.
The cord ia then passed through n pulley
OF ring attached 20 tree close to the
house and the other end held some dis
lance away by concealed person. The
moose and about 10 or IL feet Of the
cord are covered with sand. Then nice
tempting banana Is placed in the hole,
aud number Of rotten ones-covered,
however, with fresh skins-are strewn
all over the ground near the hole.
When the pack comes, the females
are too shy IN venture out into the open
space near the house, but the big gotha
is a brave fellow. He sees the bananas
on the ground, leape down, takes up one,
throws il away in disgust, then another,
with the same result. Suddenly he no.
tees the nice, tempting one in the hole,
and plunges his arm in. Immediately
the cord il pulled. the moose fastened
ON the arm close to the shoulder and the
monkey dragged willy nilly to the tree
where the pulley or 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 OF
ring is introduced not merely to bind
the monkey tn the tree, bat also because
IL would be highly dangerous to drag
the Infatuated brute right up to per
son.
The monkey. however, is not killed.
Instead they lather his head and face,
no special cara being taken i'll selecting |
the finest soap OF the purest water. The
operation is an interesting one and a |
source Of great amusement-t to the by.
ISLANDERS The monkey, however, lodges
his head about, only to get good dose
Of soap IN his eyes and mouth. Then he
has enough of is, especially as ne 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 billiard ball, and then the
face as we'll, nice and smooth, like a |
baby's. Then they let him 60. But alas
such is the vanity Of life, his wives
will not have him now that his beauty |
is gone. They disown him completely,
cut him dead. Nay. they drive him
away from the pack with cOntumeiy,
with the ends Of their tails-in the all |
.ence of domestic broomsticks. And
thus, being without leader. the pack
il soon broken up-Strand Magazine
mr. n.s-a..u n>~s.-rnSn