Washington sentinel., 1898-08-13
How Monkey Gangs are broken w.


try. have often came across In
the iungles adjoining the villages
OF Northern Bengal whole troops
of them. whose depredations on
the fields and orchards were the
despair OF the unfortunate villag-
ers. These troups often consisted
of one huge male and about a
hundred females. The fact is when
little monkey is born in the pack
it is suffered to live if female, but
instantly killed by the father if it
happens to be male. The mother,
however, sometimes manages to
hide the little one till he is able
to get about, and then send him
away before the big male catches
sight of him. In this way 1t often
happens that individual males are
to be found living by themselves
IN sing blesse dness. Now, get
ting tired of solitude after a time,
and perhaps believing in union as
a source of strength, the 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 them1 All the
female monkeys of the country
belong to the harem of some big
brute or other. Clearly, the only
solution is to attack such harem,
kill the g0tha 1.-THE aforesaid big
brute), and then divide the spoils.
So an ultimatum is sent--and re-
jected. War is declared. Tbs
battle is a fierce one and often
lasts several days. The party at
tackled always tries to retreat, and
often travel several jungles, fields
and even villages. But the pur-
suit is hot and vigorous, and a last
stand has to be made-sometimes
in a village green, or even an or
chard of some country mansion.
In the actual fight the female gen.
orally remain faithful to their lord
and master, and help him fiercely
against mis- numerous assailants.
But the result is a foregone con-
clusion, and the several widows,
after a very short period of mourn
ing-usually manifested by show
OF ill-temper-are consoled by the
victorious males. Now, these bat
. ties cause sad havoc to the fields
and orchards Of the country, and
often prove a positive danger to
the people; for, though monkeys
seldom attack men, woe to the
lucklesS one who ventures to come
near them in their deadly strug-
gle, Moreover, when pressed by
hunger these packs are not to be
trifled with. You may not mind
even the damage done to your Or
chard by hundreds of monkeys
gobbling up everything they could
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 at time, be-
cause OF the army outside.
Consequently the object OF the
natives is to break up these packs
by capturing their leaders. Kill
ing is against the dictates of con-
science, but capture is not, espec-
tally as the monkey is liberated in
a short time, as will appear pres
emily. So when a pack is about,
the natives employ 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 or eight inches in diam
eter A moose is made at one end
of long stout cord, and placed
over the mouth OF the hole. The
cord is the passed through a pulley
or ring attached to a tree close to
the house, aud the other end held
some distance away by concealed
person. The moose and about 10
or Is feet of the cord are covered
over with sand. Then a nice
tempting banana is placed in the
hole, and a 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 10 venture out into the open
space near the house. But the big
gokha is a brave fellow. He sees
the b ananas on the ground, leaps
down, takes up one-throws 1t
away in disgust. 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 fastens on the arm close
to 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 it 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 be-
ing taken in selecting 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 a good dose Of soap
into his eyes and mouth. Then
he has enough Of it, especially as
he feels dreadfully achY all over,
and the cords cutting into his body
every inch to say nothing OF the