164 N A R R A T I V E O F AN
C H A P . - to have marched againft the enemy, when they-eroffed
. vn‘ . the Patamaca Greek; that is, from La Rochelle, Devils,
liar war, and the. riyer Pirica; when, being Mailed at
once from three quarters, the rebels might; have been,
if not entirely routed, atJeaft feverely puniflied] fq r theit
prefumption: not to fpeak of the .happy effect which
fuch a check muft have had in faying the livgs. and pror
perty of thofe vidtims, who, after fuch- incurfions, are
generally devoted to their rage,. |
On the 23d I felt myfelf rather better^ and between
the fits of the fever fhot a couple of large .black monkies
to make fome broth, to fupply the want of frefh provi-
fions : but as the deftrudtion of one of "thefe animals was
attended with fuch circumftances, as for, evert after had
almoffc deterred me from going a monkey-hunting, I muft
beg leave to relate them as t]b.ey. m?
on the fide of the river in the canoe, the creature made.
a halt from fkipping after his companions, and being
perched on a branch that hung over the water, examined
me with Attention, and the ftrongeft marks, of curiofity:
no doubt* taking, me for a giant o f hispown ipecies;.
while he chattered prodigioufly, and kept dancing and
fhaking the bough on which he refled.with incredible
ftrength and agility. At this time J laid,my piece to my
fhoulder, and brought him down from the tree into the
f t r e amb u t may I never again be a witnefs to fucji a
fcenel The miferable animal was not dead, but mortally
wounded. I feized him by the tail, and taking it in both
3 my
E X P E D I T I O N TO SURI NAM. 165
my hands to end his torment, I fwung him round, and c h a p .
hit hisfiead againft the fxde-of the canoes but the poor , VlL
cre^tpre;Rill-continued alive., and looking' at me in the
rpoft addling manner that oän be eonceiyedyl knew no
o.t^ec meansj torepd-thiShmurder, .than to hold him under
Water .till (he^yyas downed, while,,my;heart felt Tick on
his^ amount«,foy his.‘dying -little. eyes ftilf continued to
follow me, with feeming, reproach, till their light,-gradually
Forfook^em,1 .andythe ^Wretched animal expired.
I felt.fo.muphmn thisrocciifion, that J[ could neither tafle
o,f him;,nor hi^^mpanion, when they, were dreifed
toough.Iffaw that they-.afibrded t,a fome othersa delicious
repalt.
^ T h ^ t monkies; efpepialjy wh£n youngs aremq bad foody
may.^fily be c o u n te d for,-.fince.they feed on nothing
but fruits,, nuts, eggs, young;birds,’ 8^. -''and indeed*
in my opinion, all.'young-quadrupeds are eatable: but
when one compares thofe which are killed in the woods-
to thpfe- filthy and difguffing creatures that ,difgrac«;
the flreets, no wonder, that they fhould difgufl the.leafl
delicate flomachv As for^he wild ones* I have eaten them
boiled, roafted, and ftewed* and found their fleih white,
juicy, and good:, the. only thing that difgufled me was,
their little hands and their heads, which when dreffed,
being, deprived of the fkin, appeared like the hands and
the fkull of a young infant. I have already ob%ved
that,there are in Guiana many different fpecies, from the
larg e