The Elbert County tribune., 1898-09-29
MONKEYS IN GANGS.
IN BENGAL THEY ARE AN I'm
MrTtoATED NUISANCE.
Lather and Then shave rhem-.r
This Amusing Operation the B,~
aothA's Wives Cut Him Dead and IN.
Pack Is Broken Up.


Joining the villages OF northern Ran-
sai whole troops of them, whose de-
predations in the fields and orchards
were the despair of the unfortunate
viiagers. says the Strand Magazine.
lnese troops always consist of one
nuge male and about 100 females. The
Iact Is, when a little monkey is born
IN the pack it is suffered to live IL a
female but instantly killed by the
1ather II it happens to be male. The
mother, however. sometimes manages
TO hide the little one until he is able
10 get about and then sends him away
pe1ore the big male catches sight of
him. In this way 1t often happens that
individual males are to be found living
py themselves in single blessedness.
now, getting tired OF solitude after a
ume. and perhaps believing in union
as source of strength, these bachelors
often join together and form pack OF
their own-as a sort Of club.
Then the fun begins. They want
wives-very naturally. But how are
they to get them? All the female mon
keys of the country belong to the
harem of some big brute or other.
Clearly, the only solution Is to attack
such a harem, kill the gotha tthe afore-
said big brute) and then divide the
spoils. So an ultimatum is sent and
rejected. War is declared. The bat
tie Is fierce one, and often lasts sew
eral days. The party attacked always
tries to retreat, and often traverses sew
eral 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 country mansion.
In the actual fight the females general
ly remain faithful to their lord and
master and help him fiercely against
his numerous assailants. But the re-
several widows. after very short pc
riod of mourning-usually manifested
by show of ill-temper-are consoled
by the victorious males.
Now, these battles cause sad havoc to
the fields and orchards of the country
and often prove a positive danger to
the people; for, though monkeys sell
dom attack 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 even the damage done to
your orchard by hundreds OF monkeys
gobbling up everything they can lay
their hands on; but 1t is quite diff
ferent 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 ma
tives 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 short time, as will ap-
pear presently. So when pack is
about the natives employ the follow
ing 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 diameter. A
moose is made at one end OF long,
stout cord and placed over the mouth
of the hole. The cord is then passed
through a pulley or ring attached to a
tree close to the house and the other
end held some distance away by a con-
cealed person. The moose and about
ten feet or fifteen feet Of the cord are
covered over 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.
When the pack comes the females
are too shy to venture out into the open
space near the house. But the big
gotha is brave fellow. He sees the
bananas on the ground, leaps down.
takes up one-throws 1t away in dis
gust. Then another-with the same
result. Suddenly he notices 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 willynilly 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 or ring
is introduced not merely to bind the
monkey to the tree, but also because IL
would be highly dangerous to drag
the infuriated brute right up to per-
son.
The monkey, however is not killed.
Instead, they lather his head and face.
no special care being taken in select
ing the finest soap or the purest water.
The operation is an interesting one and
a source of great amusement-to the
bystanders. The monkey, however.
lodges his head about, only to get
good desc of soap in his eyes and
mouth. Then he has enough of 1t, es-
pecially as he feels dreadfully achy all
over, and the cords cutting into his
body every inch--to say nothing of the
personal rsnisrks and the highly ad-
jectival language of the bystanders. He
submits to his fate with eastern sto-
icism. His head is shaved clean as
billiard ball, and the face as well, NICE
and smooth like baby's. Then they
let him go. But alas! such is the van
ity 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.
Killed by Cigarettes.
Raymond Chapel. aged 16, OF West