The times., 1898-09-04
PESTILENT MONKEYS
They Travel in Gangs and
Commit DepredatiOns.
HOW THEY SCARE PEOPLE
An Interesting Description of the
Pests of Northern Bengal, Where
the Villagers Fear to Leave Their
Houses When the Mischieyous
Troops Are Near.

Troops Are Near.
People who see monkeys only in the
cages of the zoo form no idea of what
nuisance they sometimes are in their ma
tive state. A writer in the Strand maga-
zine says: Monkeys are an unmiti
gated nuisance especially in the coun-
try. 1 have often come across in the
| jCngles adjoining the villages of north
ern Bengal whole troops of them. whose
| depredations III the fields and orchards
were the despair of the unfortunate vii
layers. These troops always consisted Of
one huge male and about hundred
! females The fact is, when a little mon
key is born in the pack, it is suffered to
| live if a female. but instantly killed by
the father if it happens to be male.
| The mother, however, sometimes man
| ages 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 individual males are to be found
living by themselves in single blessed
|
| a time and perhaps believing in union as
source of strength. these bachelors
often join together and form pack of
their own-a 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 country belong to the harem of some
| Al III
| luton is to attack such harem, kill
the gotha (the aforesaid big bruta), apd
then divide the spoils War is declared.
| The battle is fierce one. and often lasts
several days. The party attacked always
tries to retreat, and often traverses sew
eIal jungles, fields and even villages.
But the pursuit is hot and vigorous and
a last stand has TO be made-sometimes
| in village green, or even an orchard of
some country mansion. In the actual
fight the females generally remain faith
ful TO their lord and master, and help
him fierceiy against his numerous as
| sailauts. But the result is a foregone
conclusion, and the several widows. af-
| ter a very short period of mourning
! u:ually manifested by show of iu-tem-
per-are consoled by the victorious males
Now, these battles cause sad havoc
| 10 the fields and orchards OF the coun-
try, and often prove positive danger to
| the people, for, though monkeys seldom
! attack the men, woe the luckless one
who ventures 10 come near them in their
deadly struggle. Moreover, when press
ed by hunger. these packs are not to be
| triiled 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
it is quite a different matter when you
have to shut your doors and windows and
! stay in for days al 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
| wden pack is about the natives en-
poy the following method: Close TO an
! orchard a bit of level space is selected
and hole dug in it, about two feet deep
and six inches or eight inches in di-
| ameter. A moose is made at one end of
a long, stout cord, and placed over the
mouth of the hole. The cord is then pass
| ed through a pulley attached to a tree
close to the house, and the other end,
held some distnce away by a concealed
| person. The moose and about ten feet
| or fifteen feet of the cord are covered
| over with sand. Then a nice. tempting
banana is placed in the hole. and num-
| ber of rotten ones-covered however
With fresh skins-are strewn all over the
ground near the hole
| When the pack comes ttle females are
| too shy to venture out into the open
| space near the house. But the big gotha
T.
| on the ground leans down. takes up one
throws 1t away in disgust Then another
with the same result. Suddenly he no.
tees the nice, tempting one in the hole
| and piunGsS his arm in-immediately
the cord is pulled. the moose fastened
| on the arm close 10 the shoulder, and
the monkey dragged willy-nilly to the
tree where the pulley. or ring, is at
tached.
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 or ring
| is introduced not merely to bind the
| monkey to the tree, but also because ii
would be highly dangerous to drag the
| infuriated brute right up to a person.
''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 op-
| Grafton Is an interesting one and source
of great amusement-to the bystanders
| The monkey, however, lodges his head
| about, only TO get good dose of soap
| in his eyes and mouth. Then he has
enough of it, especially as he feels dread
fully achy all over, and the cords cut
ting into his body every inch, to say
nothing or the personal remarks and the
highly adjeetival language of the by
standers He submits to his fate with
Eastern stoicism. His head is shaved
clean as billiard ball, and the face as
well, nice and smooth, like a baby's
| Then they let him so. 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 contumely, with the end
of their tails-in the absence of domestic
| broomsticks. And thus, being without a
leader, the pack is soon broken up"