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Some naturalists have attributed infinitely too much sagacity to them, whilst others have certainly not al lowed enough. The monkies seem to do those things which mankind do before their reason is matured by age; and in this respect there is no other quadruped which bears any resemblance to them. Most animals seem at times to be actuated by the spirit of revenge; by the different means that are employed to gratify this passion, we may in a measure judge of the different degrees of their instinct; and every one knows how greatly the monkey exceeds all other brutes in its vindictive malice. There appears, in some measure, an analogy even betwixt the vices (if we may so call them) of the monkies, and the disgusting brutality too often observable in the vicious and degraded part of mankind.

The animals of the monkey tribe differ very essentially from each other in their general manners and habits of life. The oran otan is susceptible of more considerable attainments than any of the others. The short muzzled monkies, with long tails, such as the greater part of the sapajous and sagoins, are for the most part exceedingly tractable, and receive a certain degree of instruction without much difficulty. But some of the apes, and baboons, with long nuzzles, are so savage and ferocious as to be incapable of any education whatever. ib or sidens a

The monkies of the new continent, as might naturally be supposed, differ (at least in some degree) in their habits of life from those of the old world. The Great Author of Nature has assigned to them several characteristics that are peculiar to themselves; such, amongst others, are the situation and separations of the nasal orifices; and the presence of two additional each jaw. We, likewise, are acquainted

grinders in of monkey, belonging to the ancient

world, that has a prehensile tail, or the bony pouch observable in the throat of the preacher monkey and the arabata (Simia beelzebul and Simia seniculus of Linnæus.)

In some countries, monkies, even in their wild state, are rendered serviceable to mankind. It is said, that in districts where pepper and cocoa grow, the inhabi

fants, availing themselves of the imitative faculties, and the agility of the nonkies, are able to procure an infinitely greater quantity of these articles than they could do by any other means. They mount some of the lowest branches of the trees, break off the extremities where the fruit grows, and then descend and carefully range them together on the ground. The animals afterwards ascend the same trees, strip the brauches all the way to the top, and dispose them in a similar manner. After the monkies have gone to rest, the Indians return and carry off the spoil.

In some places it is this inclination to imitate human actions which leads to their destruction. The Indians carry in their hands vessels filled with water, and rub their faces with it in the presence of the monkies; then substituting a kind of glue instead of water, leave the vessels behind them, and retire. The bobservant creatures seize the vessels, and do the same, when the glue, adhering strongly to their hair and eyelids, completely blinds them, and prevents every possibility of their effecting au escape.

In other places, the natives take to the habitations of the monkies a kind of boots, which they put on and pull off their legs several times successively. These are then rubbed over in the inside with a strong glue; and when the monkies attempt to do the same, they are unable to disengage themselves, and consequently are caught without difficulty.

Sometimes the inhabitants carry in their hands a mirror, and appear to amuse themselves by looking at it in different attitudes. In place of these they leave a kind of traps, not unlike the glasses in external appearance, which, when the animals take them up, seize and secure them by the paws.

The inhabitants of St. Vincent le Blanc catch monkies in several kinds of traps and snares. Sometimes when they have caught the young ones, they put them into a cage, and appear to teaze and torment them, in order that they may likewise catch the parents.

The hunters of some countries place near the haunts of monkies vessels containing strong and intoxicating liquors. The animals drink of them, and in a short No.39.1

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time become so drunk, as to lie down on the spot, and fall asleep.

Some of the Indians ascend to the summits of the mountains, in which the animals breed, and construct there a pile of wood, round the base of which they spread a quantity of maize. They place on the pile some substance, which, on being exposed to heat, explodes with tremendous noise. This is contrived to explode during the time that the monkies are employed in devouring the maize, and, in the terror and astonishment, the old animals scamper off on all sides with the utmost rapidity, leaving their young ones a prey to the hunters.

The dexterity of monkies is such, that, although burthened by their offspring clinging to their backs, they can leap from tree to tree, if the distance be not very great, and secure their hold among the branches with the greatest certainty. When they perceive a person taking aim at them, either with a gun or bow, they cry out and grind their teeth sometimes in the most horrible manner. They are often able to avoid the arrows that are shot at them, and sometimes they even catch them in their hands. When any one of their company is shot, and falls to the ground, all the rest set up a dismal and tremendous howl, which makes all the adjacent mountains and woods resound. If a monkey is wounded, and does not fall, it frequently happens that his companions will seize and carry it off far beyond the reach of their enemy; and miserable is the fate of that hunter who is improvident enough to venture near their haunts during that same day. When the animals re-ascend the trees, they each carry a stone in their hauds, and generally another in their mouths; and, in such cases, these are thrown at their adversary with a correctness of aim that is truly astonishing.

The inhabitants of several countries derive a means of subsistence from the flesh of these animals. We are assured by Condamine, that in Cayenne the monkies are the kind of game that is more frequently pursued than any other; and that the Indians of the country bordering on the river of the Amazons, are pecu

Jiarly iarly fond of their flesh. Their fat is esteemed a sovereign remedy for stiffness in the joints. In the Portuguese settlements, in South America, powdered monkies' bones are considered an excellent sudorific, and likewise as anti-venereal. In the gall-bladder of one or two of the Indian species (but particularly of the doric and wanderu) a kind of gall-stone is sometimes found. These, says Tavernier, the natives have been known to sell for as much as a hundred crowns each. They will not, in general, permit them to be exported out of their country as articles of commerce, but chiefly preserve them as an invaluable present to foreign ambassadors residing amongst them. They are considered to possess all the properties that have been attributed to the most precious of the bezoar stones.

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TRANSACTIONS

OF THE

UNIVERSITY OF GOTHAMBURG.

No. 4.

Extract from a Discourse read before the University of Gothamburg,

BY PAPIRIUS MOTHWORM,

Professor of Ancient Literature.

Concluded from page 78.

WE are sorry to announce that some differences have arisen between Cicero and Brutus *. The people of Salamis, in the island of Cyprus, wanting money, to pay their tribute, borrowed £20,000 of a Roman, named Scaptius, at the compound interest of four per cent. per month. They were, however, utterly unable to pay the total, arising from the accumulation of this sum. Meanwhile, Cicero, (in whose province the island lies,) perceiving the distress occasioned by the extortions of money lenders, issued an edict, reducing the rate of interest to one per cent. per month; and the people of Salamis offered to pay Scaptius, according

* Afterwards the assassin of Cæsar.

to the terms of this decree. Scaptius, finding the people determined, obtained, through the interest of Brutus, permission to go to Cyprus, with a troop of horse, to harass his debtors into compliance. Accor dingly, he began by confining the senators of Salamis in their council chamber; where he kept them till several of them were starved to death; and this coming to the ears of Cicero, he ordered Scaptius to withdraw, and to take the money at one per cent. according to the regulations in his edict. This gave great offence to Brutus, (who now, for the first time, acknowledged himself to be the lender of the money, and Scaptius only his agent,) and he wrote several angry letters to Cicero. T.P. Atticus, the friend of both parties, endeavoured to induce Cicero to accede to the wishes of Brutus; assuring him, that, if he brought nothing from his government but the friendship of Brutus, it would be enough. Cicero is obstinate, and consequently a great deal of coldness has taken place among the three friends.

This morning several messengers arrived post at the college of augurs, bringing information that heavy showers of blood have fallen in different parts of Italy. We are sorry that our duty to our readers obliges ns to be the disseminators of such dreadful and appalling intelligence; but we are constrained to confess that of late, showers of blood, stoues, wool, frogs, and milk, have fallen in various parts of the world'; all, no doubt, presaging events of direful importance. That we may not terrify our friends more than is requisite, we shall say no more on these alarming circumstances, till we have received the decision of the college of augurs.

LAW REPORT.

This day the Attilii, sons of the late Attilius Regulus, were summoned before the tribunes of the people, to answer to a charge laid against them, of having starved, and otherwise maltreated, the Carthaginian generals, Bostar and Hamilcar; so as to cause the death of Bostar, and to reduce Hamilcar to the last

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