The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-01-12
THE APES MUTINIED.
ON A VOYAGE FROM AFRICA THEY
CAPTURED The SHIP.

Drove All the Crew Excepting C,e Cap
taln Into the Rigging-The Exception
was Fatal to Their Plans. If They Had
Any-A Useful Baneh Of Bananes-
81 have had scme strange crews in
ny experience, f" said old Captain Ben
son, "but the funniest kind of a ships
company that 1 ever sailed with was
one Of big African apes, and it happen
ed in this way:
at was during that period of the
lifetime CT the great Snowman p. 7.
Barlum, when he had his museum on
lower Broadway in New York city,
that my vessel was chartered by him to
go out to Africa and to bring back
cargo of wild animals that his agents
in that country had collected. We had
three big and two baby elephants in the
hold, also a rhinoceros and a giraffe,
while in wooden houses on deck we car
ried several zebras. a number of ante
lope and deer, also ten huge apes as
large as men and looking in the face
NAaANAg NAlE ADglS 0A AnD
aid Isle natives found in the humorous
papers The apes were very intelligent
and were capable Of being taught many
amusing tricks.
''On our voyage homo I Sad occasion
a number of times TO advise the oflicels
and men against teasing these creatures,
telling them that they We're known 10
possess a good memory and were re-
yengeful and would surely make it
point to get even with their tormentOrs
at the first opportunity, but as the
heavy wooden bars divided them from
the hairy faces that scowled at their
funmaking they felt safe enough to
give no heed to my warnings The
mates and sailors took good care. how
ever, TO pass at a safe distance from the
cage in going about their work, for ON
two or three occasions the alert occu-
pants had been known to suddenly
thrust forth a long muscular arm. and
grip the unwary seaman in such a saw
age way Is TO elicit howl Of pain on
Jacks part / could go among them
without the slightest fear and several
times entered their cage for the purpose
of caring for sickly little baby ape
that had been born just after leaving
Africa. and for which the ocean voyage
subsequently proved too heroic, as 1t
died before we reached New York.
lone morning the crew We're all
aloft ON the yards furling sail, for it
was blowing strong and the ship had
been Obliged to reduce her spread Of
canvas. had taken the wheel, and the
two mates were going from mast TO
mast helping the work along by haul
ing upon the gear as it was required.
The apes had been fed a short time be-
fore, and it must have been that had
carelessly fastened the bar that secured
the cage door, for while l was looking
alOft heard startled yell from my
two officers. and the next moment they
were climbing up the rigging like mon
keys themselves, while the crowd of
apes came leaping aft in pursuit of
them.
Then the funniest scene that 1 ever
witnessed was presented. Six Of the
apes took stations at the foot Of the
shrouds, so that each mast was guarded
on both sides, and the other four mount
ed the shrouds with all the agility of
sailors and sought to reach the men.
The apes followed the men as they
mounted higher and higher TO escape;
then, when the latter could climb no
farther, they would grasp stay that
led to some place of temporary safety
and slide down it, sometimes going
from one spar to another in this way
For nearly an hour this impromptu ex-
hibition continued, and during all this
time the sentries ON deck hoped about
in excitement, uttering cultural yelpS,
which l have no doubt were cries OF en-
couragement and advice 10 their friends
aloft
AT last the big monkeys gave up the
chase and came down on deck, where
they joined the others, and all sat on
their launches, gazing up at the crew,
occasionally showing their rows of
wicked looking teeth, as much as to
say: All right, my fine fellows. You
stay where you are if you know what's
good for your health.
Il had been thinking out plan to
recover possession Of my ship, and now
put IL in execution. Apes are very fond
Of bananas, and in my room l had a
fine bunch that had been green when
placed on beard, but which had ripened
perfectly since that time 1t gave me
something Of heart spasm part with
them, but | considered Inat if the
scheme worked the sacrifice would not
be great one. So / lashed the wheel TO
keep the ship steady, then brought the
fruit from below, carried it forward ii
full view Of the apes and placed it with
III their cage, standing beside the door
and carelessly eating banana that
had broken from the bunch
The apes crowded inside and fe', TO
work ON those bananas as though it was
an eating match, with a prize for the
one that consumed the greatest number
in Il given time. l slammed the door to
and fastened it upon my mutineers, and (
you may be assured that for the re-
mainder Of that voyage the security of |
that gate was carefully looked after. -
Harper's Round Table