Smyrna times., 1898-10-12
MONKEYS OF INDIA.
THE HAVOC THEY CAUSE BY THEIR
WARS FOR WIVES.

LAUEnnDAC 4
Natives 40 Disperse the Delligerent
Packs-LittIe Chance For MnIe Mon
keys at nirth.
Monkeys in India are an unmittgated
nuisance, especially in the country. L
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 III |
the pack, it is suffered to live if fe-
male, but instantly killed by the father
if it happens to be 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 lndl-
vidual males are to be found living by |
themselves i'll single blessedness. Now,
getting tired of solitude after time
and perhaps believing in union as a
source of strength, these bachelors often
join together and form pack OF their
own-as "a sort of club.
Then tho fun begins. They want
wives-very naturally. But how arc
they to get them? All the female
monkeys of the country belong to tho
harem of some big brute or other
Clearly, the only solution is to attack
such harom, kill the gotha (the afore-
said big brute), and then divide tho
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 traverses several
jungles, fields and even villages. But
the pursuit is hot and vigorous, and at
last stand has to be made-sometimes
in a village green or even an orchard of
some coentry mansion. In the actual
fight the females generally remain
faithful to their lord and master and
help him 1iercely against his numerous
assailants. But the result is foregOne
conclusion, and the several widows,
after very short period of mourning
usually manifested by a show of i'll
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, 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
trihed with. You may not mind even
| the damage done to your orchard by
hundreds of monkeys gobbling up every
thing they cGn lay their hands on, but
| it is quite different matter when you
have to shut your doors and windows
and stay in for days at 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
a short time, as will appear presently.
So, when pack is about, the natives en-
ploy the following method: Close to an
orchard bit Of level space is selected
and hole dug i'll it, about 2 feet deep
and 6 or 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 pulley
or ring attached to a tree close to the
house and the other end held some dis
tance away by concealed person. The
moose and about 10 or 10 feet Of the
cord are covered with sand. Then nice,
iC ynlo in, tNolo
and a number of rotten Ones-covered,
however, with fresh skins-aTe 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 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 no
tices the nice, tempting one 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 or ring is attached
Then the hiding shikari comes forth
and, circling round and round the tree
with the cord held tight in his hard
binds the unfortunate monkey safe anC
fast, all but the head. The pulley ol
ring is introduced not merely to bind
the monkey to the tree, but also because
it would be highly dangerous to drag
the infuriated brute right up to per
son.
The monkey, however, is not killed
Iustead 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 G
source Of great amusement-tO the by
ISLANDERS. The monkey, however, dodgei
his head about, only to get a good dosC
of soap in his eyes and mouth. Then hC
has enough of it, especially as he feel
dreadfully achy all over and the cords
cutting into his body every inoh-tC
say nothing of the personal remarks ant
, the highly adjectival language Of the
!, bystanders. He submits to his fate will
eastern stoicism. His head is shaved
clean as a billiard ball, and then thC
face as we'll, nice and smooth, like {
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
! is gone. They disown him completely
cut him dead. Nay, they drive hin
away from the pack with oontumely
with the ends of their tails--in the alb
sence of domestic broomsticks AnC
thus, being without a leader, the pacl
is soon broken up.-Strand Magazine
The earliest complete clock of which
an accurate record exists was made il
the thirteenth century by Saracel