Evening star., 1898-12-31

AWSkSE lardS arrived at Cuba
~ they discovered the
natives IN possession of small quadruped
called the dumb dog" which not only was
hei' iii high esteem for the table, but was
cherlshed as a pet It's chief peculiaritv
was It's lhaptiity TO bark make any sound
above grunt or moan. Many naturalists
nave speculated upon this beast, as to its
origin and specific affiliations, but no sat-
lsIactory results have been obtained 1t
seems to have disappeared with the In
uiahs' VINO were eXterminated by the Span
iards early in the century in which Mexico
and Peru were subiugated
There are. strictly speaking. no large
arboreai animals, if we may except the few
species of squirrels, 'possums and 'coops.
and the most noteworthy hiatus in the in
sular fauna is the almost entire absence
OF monkeys throughout the West Indies
NO record is extant of monkeys found by
the Spanlards in Cuba, Jamaica Haiti or
forto Rlco, and the only species now found
IN the West Indies inhabit the small island
OF 81 hitts, or Saint Christopher and
Ureiada' eoth pertaining to the Caribbees.
Found on st. Kits.
Uhul within less than score of wears
the presence of monkeys in these two
Islands and their entire absence in other
ana larger was a puzzle to the naturalists.
1t is believed that no skins, even, of these
monkeys were to be found in the United
States, until the writer succeeded in oh
tdihihg some, IN the year 1880, and sending
them TO the Smithsonian institution Then
IL was ascertainad that the ST. Kits spe-
cleS was the African green monkey, known
" s1lehIStS at the Cercopithecus caliitri-
GUS ana comparatively common But
Tor some time after this announcement the
naturallsts cudgled theiH brains to find ont
now this species came 10 be so plentiful in
an island thousands of miles ay-av from it's
accustomed habitat.
Ih1S was poser until the writer on
nshtened them by giving them the resnlts
OF MS Investigations. In an old history of
travels % Pere I-abat.Ga Frenchman who
soyasea through the Antilles in the early
part OF the eighteenth century, reference is
made to some AfHicanIsmonkeys that es-
capped from captivity, and, having gained
the forests, there propagated with gre5+
fapidlty; until they Ehadrbecome nuisa1ce
10 the planters. Then the wise men. breath
ed more freely for 9he problem was snivad
at last; the origini of an African monkey
in American islands was ascertained The
dlHerence between rhe monkeys of the old
ana THE new world are many the most no
ticeable being shown IN the shane and uses
of their tails. For2 whereas the old u,orTd
species is stiff-taileH and has little usa "a;
that appendage-which has been such a
stumbling block TO the protoulpators Of tb1
evolution theory-the American snecies bas
prehensile tail and thus has many. ,ad-
Vantases over his cousins across the wafer
Served on the Table.
Speaking of the uses to which the carly
planters of st. kits put the ravasers Sf
thelr cane fields the monkeys who used to-
descend IN troops and eat all before them
the old historian narrates how the planters
aforesaid applied the old aphorism and
made like cure like
lie says: Being one day invited TO dine
with one of the planters, | was horriffad,
when the soup was brought 10 the table
TO see what looked like an infants s<uli
bobbinS about in the tureen. But I was
assured that it was not that at all bur
merely the skull of a monkey, which had
been deprived of skin and ewes ard care
fully cleaned"
lie goes on to say that he finally over
came his repugnance and ate with eusto
of the savory dish before him. which could
not nave been surpassed. Indeed, he took
care that 1t should form a feature of his
1epasts while in the island, for the worthy
father was a great gOurmand. The moral
OF which is, should be: When monkey
soup is brought before you, shut your eyes
ana ask no questions.
This is IN measure PREDATORY Finding
myself one time ashore in st. kits with
a prospect for a month on the island | was
anxious to make the acquaintance of the
little forest brothers. The island is a small
one, but one of the most fertile in the west
Indies, the rich, deep, volcanic soil being
particularly adapted to the raising of sugar
cane. 1t consists mainly of an extinct vol
cano, Mount Misery, about 5000 feet in
height, covered with tropical forest and
surrounded by broad belt of the most
fertile soil on earth. A fine road runs COM
pletely around the island. giving access to
every plantation of consequence, where
dwell some of the most hospitabie planters
of Scotch and English origin, that the
world can boast
Their Latch strings are always on the
outside, and nothing gives them greater
pleasure than to have them pulled by a
stranger, especially an American with
proper credentials. Their houses are vast
and filled with sable retainers, their tables
loaded with West Indian dainties and
known as rum, is never less than seven
years old and warranted not to harm a
child.
Monkeys by the Hundred.
The second morning after my arrival in
the island 1 was domiciled with Mr.. Great
heart, to whom 1 had letter of introduce
ton, and who lost no time in arranging
the preliminaries for intimate acquaint-
ance with the monkeys rowing the woods
above his fields. The forest was alive
with them, he said and only the day be-
fore they had descended by hundreds,
vast horde, and completely stripped one of
his largest cane fietis, within a mile of his
might be scores of monkeys ravaging the
cane almost within gunshot, and as many
more watching in the trees, yet it would
be a difficult mattel TO get even one For
the monkey of the Roods'is vastly different
from his congenerH in the menagerie or
roaming about leading a dago by the hand
He is wild and shy and roams the forest
with more than the sag3city of human
being. He could give points to Daniel
Boone, Davy Crockett OF, Uncas, or any of
those old-time worthless who used to sneak
through the woods after Indians and get
them, for his senses are almost preterna-
turaly sharpened BY long dwelling in the
midst of his foes.
To get monkey in hisinative wilds then
it is necessary to be a hunter to the man
ner born; and this I thought was. 1 had
shot iguanas and peecaries. wild guinea
fowl and parrots, and now I wanted a
'shy" at the monkey.
Starting for the Hunt.
Well, MIR. Greatheart sent out with me
his best monkey hunter. an old man with
wrinkled shrewd and cunning face, who
was himself suggestion that away back
in the distant past-and perhaps not so
far distant, either-his ancestors may have
been intimately related to. But no matter;
he could talk. and that was where he was