MONKEYS MIGRATING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1233, 18 November 1882, Page 1 (Supplement)

MONKEYS MIGRATING.

. ! - ,i;„ i • AIIIQAXOKSi\r • /J „• : On 0110 booaaion I observed that great mul-' titudes of m'oflkeys began to occupy the trdea whidh! 'grew along thi margin of tho K'urialli River; 'By degrees the 'interioi* of the forest 'became entirely deserted,' Th'en'for the time I learned that an annual migraition tooU •place/ owing to the lack of fodd'iii tho'fdjrest at this Beason'of 'the year; for every ediljli particle had been searched out and devoured' by these intelligent and, in 'this, respect; in-' 'dustrioiis' creatures; Yet'l coulcl hardly ;be- 1 lieve they meditated crossing the wide rivet; for wide it ; comparatively'was even, at tliia ; its 'narrowest where,' the molikey's Were congregating in' such Vast numbere. '■■■■" ■ ; This information' I, derived froin' a sc'nw nude', 1 iandbring l ';^ l or : ! Hindu : 'devotee* the t praotice of .me'ndicanoy, 'added irhat he wais-pleased to term the soieilce pf astrology I and for the most patt obtained! r subsistence by working on the icredulity of! his'fellow-countrymeni : = ■■ ut ' j■. " I' f haro roatne'd'th&se forest tracts for many years," he said iri answer 'to a question of mine, "and I am -bound to be present when'these l my ohildren''^—pointing' to tlje ; throngs of monkeys—" cross the Kurialli, for they will need my services," •« i i ,i "lndeed,"l replied. :"?rayi' tell main" what way'you Jitopose to help them; ; j?or I naturally-Conoluded that;. during his lohg'riBideneo in the jungles,' living'as it weto with wild itaimAla for his' neighbors hod' constant.

visitors, circumstances .in connection' with them must Have' come. .under.. his' -notice, likely toproyeboth'interesting, and curious; •' I will with pleasure, sir," responded, tlie native,,. ".You.are awareithereis just now a dearth in the land.my,children inhabit, Vlhis will continue for the space .of two months; that is, till the pint set in j tlien'theroota of tlie plants, &0., on,whioh.they, ; thriye.will i again Become, 1 plentiful, In the,, meantime, those that'can get safely across the river will find fo'od;on that sandy.expanse,that.you:see ihv.th'e distance covered with-low'thorny hushes, which, at, this period produce in perfection the sweet-tasted ;bher;uerrleai"!- ':' : But you havenot -told me'how-you will assist sudh vast numbers,!' I remarked. '■' I feel Bure many will be drowned,'!. i V,. .■!' A, few, will' no doubt, lose their lives/' 1 ,anßwered the [man, "for;the river,is swarming with alligatesuwho appear ,to know,thai my .children are collecting on the banks/and ar6',inhopesi.of -snapping up,some of them when,they go down.to drink, But as,a. matfergf fact, the poor. oreatures are only waiting fof my permission to cross., I will direot them to do so as soon as I haYe'ascor r tained-a„propitious moment,; one- in which nearly all the ..alligators will be asleep j and .they-will thus be able; to swim to the other side in comparative safety," ..f'-Yo.u are.really- a remarkable man;" I .said, somewhat,ironically, ;"Perhaps.you will kindly jet me know when you intend giving this signal, as tshould very much-like ;■» wafjlf M extraordinary a- spectacle, t

Bhebsh,' too', 1 for yourself will beforthcphiing, '■'; "I shall' be sure to inform your• i h'onbr i'eplicd' r ' : my:bble''frien'd' ! with''mueh ■nessj'a'nd with that' lie stalked importantly : away; ,''::'■'■'■':''i'' ■■■- '.'•-■: \hru ,i.>i<:--ivi> i''■'lt was probable that in bygone yea'rithewily devotee ! hadwitnessed'at'leaßt a'ddz'ensuch orossings whence: it seemed tome very likely ■ thai,' ■ by accurately- bbserving certain ■ signs and'indifeationii in'the behaviour of 1 the > 1 monkeys, ho was able r tb tell to a-nioetytbe : •exact momettt'thecreatnres the' .water; 1 'Using this;knowledge"for!'his!'owniglorifii!ation,"hei pretended to'bo 'gifted'\yitb preternatural powers fand I'-had : but little doubt l that the'ignorant 'and(superstitious, natives who - : lived'!' in the ''vicinity : Were 7 thoroughly-impressed with the idea'that' the' migration took plaoe under hia immediate 'Sup'erinte'ndehce'and'aVhis'express -word ! of' 'command, ' :, '\i' :■.■.'. 'v' .-!-.." >■■•■■[ ■■■{■■{ , : .'.' Next; hibrliingi'just as the'firstsireaks of dawn' ,\ver'e' reddening; the sltyj 'I w : as'rbused' ; from myslumbers'by a atrident' voice calling outv'^'Sahib/sahibl"' ; " ; "'^'^ ;!l :;v;.':': p ! ~: ; .i^-.the,.matter'?',' [l,,exolaimed," .pomowkyrowsilyandunamiably,- ~'... i ■■■ • "In about a quarter of an hour I shall:give" :my children the signal'tooross.:; If yoww-ishv ■to. .witness .the.soene.youi-mustimake l haste." ; In tho above senteneeß'-I recognised th'e'ac-' cents of myfriend of -'thOprevioiis day.' Springing out of bed, I drossed as quickly as; I could. .Very Bodn I emerged: from my 'tpnt, : and; made myway toi the; river-bank,''

Tviiicliwas aboutono hundred -yatda-W-'itb-distant, ■.•■■• ■ , r . .. .:■ ;;', ; , •,,',. .„','. \' "Tie old devotee, full of importance, \m standing on the margin with a dozen native!) ■ .around him,'/ AsLapproached,-raising,his ; arm impressively, 7 he pointed : hither and- ■ thither,fpr.,my..ediEcation; -and tttily the. sight was>h ama?ing.one.i fining the bunt of the river' for nearly hall a mile on; eaoh, side of, me, ■ and squatting, along ■ its edge, were thousands and thousands of uncanny- ; looking brown imps,-varying In sizefrbm the full-grown and bearded patriarchs of families, to the. tiniest ,of youngsters, /.Moreover,'-in m motions aud.gesticulationß.of these monkeys, Icould.detect symptoms of an-intense* though apparently, .suppressed; exoitemdnt. It was evident they were contemplating a step,whiohthoy.iegarded as one of supreme moment to. themselves,!, From the.monkeys •my gaise next wandered backftothe mendicant, called them-very, intently, and with a look full of eager expectation, :• Then my glance .turned .towards the river,.' A thin light'mist lay-on the surface; of the water, which,- being narrqwosUti.this particular spot, was'rather' ,deep,\and,! ran with affair current;' I was trying to.see iM could detect any Btray alligators on: the qui.vM, w \imih loud voice :of the old;dovoteo,oupe.- ihoi'e rose in the air. : ~''J umpi ;r in,,imy.'childven—jumi) 1" he shouted, -taxing;his lubgs -to .their utmost .capacity; -and. sut-e.:;enough, ,aa thuugii in : obedience to. luMvord.of command, tue long, crowdedline.of 'monkeys Bprang aim jgt 's&,

ultaheously into" thb'stream', 1 '•'•■ Tho c'o'ntiiiu'.' ous'Splaßb they treated l •re'Bouhde'd"-iip''(ahd , down the river like the roar of'an'-'Atltoiie' "breitker'on'S' pbbty'siibreV' Th'eh'.the. next 1 instant'.'•;a , |my'riad ; 'brown7arml'we're' ; s'ecn ! whirling'intlie'air like'so ftany'miniature ' Windmillß in'full swin'g-the nionk'ey iriethbd "of swimmingbeirig sbirie'wh'aii 'similar id what ;Weterlnth6"hahd- ( bver'-tiand"style;,' ' j '" ;"'At''starting,' their v 'pr6gress ;: was -iairly ;rapid, well'tdgether j'-'bht'sboil 1 .the pace-aiiriinishedj'and'th'bWeaker animals' be'gafrto'lag behind;, li : i Then''a ; h'ew ika'plm- ; ful -interest : was added to the' scene;' tli'e'illii' ;gators.' l fleeiii'ed to' becdihe 1 aware "that thing nriMnaj. wtranpplring in the 'elemeht' ; they'considered' peculiarly-' their idwriji'aiid' the river• Butl'dehly became alive'with 'th'eih,'' Every hore .and-theroj first'w'as;' sfen a ! ripple," 'raised -Tby-the r.ush bf'bne'bf''these'reptiles bblb\vith'e'su«ac'e of'„the 'water'towardsia 'struggling pnk'ey;' 'then'a I ''sharp'a'bgnishdd squeal fbllowed'as jtliejviotirii vihiahed 'al'm'ost' ihstantanedusly,-haying beeh'jerked under-By'. ' some'voraciousmonster';'finally;' the bbser-' vant'eye could defe'ct'a'c'rims'oh'stain rise to' the Burface,,which, howoyer;with the turbid current' j' •'■ Many victims mus't'h'av'e''perishe'd ; in this 'manner' j but 'of- course the'ihain 'body at' Jength.reached the opposite shore,'evidently 'in'a' very weak and"di?tresse'd condition, as most dragged, 'selves'up-pn to thblowbank;'an'd out'of the feiloh ! of the jaws' ,df : their hideous foes'.'' I • Of cbiirse 'the; samb; painful bfdearw'ould'

kaVe k te .uhuerj»6'ae \>f Ikese .WBdtlir'aa' When 'the berries oh' 1 the-'further bank : beeame oxhaußtedj and hunger' icdm-pelled-them.to ifao'e ■ renewed loss,, by oned moro swimming back to the'foresfc.-Gtai W: Journal,::' ..' ..-.- -T ■% ■ ■'. :.•:' j