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ted to us by different travellers, re- the most part exceedingly tractable, specting the manners and habits of and receive a certain degree of inlife of the animals which constitute struction without much difficulty. this interesting tribe ; and from what But some of the apes, and baboons, has been said, it appears that they with long niuzzles, are so savage and have a nearer alliance than any other ferocious as to be incapable of any quadruped (in the general conform- education whatever. ation of their bodies ) to the human The monkies of the new continent, race. They, consequently, have the as might naturally be supposed, differ art of imitating human actions bet- (at least in some degree) in their bater than any others, since they are bits of life from those of the old able to use their fore-feet as hands. world. The Great Author of Nature Froin the general organization of has assigned to them several characthe monkies, they are likewise capa- teristics that are peculiar to themble of an education nearer allied to selves: such, amongst others, are the that of man, than any other animal. situation and separation of the nasal Some naturalists have attributed infi- orifices ; and the presence of two nitely too much sagacity to them, additional grinders in each jaw. We, whilst others have certainly not al- likewise, are acquainted with no spelowed enough. The monkies seem cies of monkey, belonging to the anto do those things which mankind do cient world, that has a preheusile tail, before their reason is matured by or the bony pouch observable is the age; and in this respect there is no throat of the preacher monkey and other quadruped which bears any re- the arabata, ( Simia beelzebul and Sisemblance to them. Most animals ' mia seniculus of Linnæus). seem at times to be actuated by the In some countries, monkies, even spirit of revenge: by the different in their wild state, are rendered sermeans that are employed to gratify viceable to mankind. It is said, that this passion, we may in a measure in districts where pepper and cocoa judge of the different degrees of their grow, the inhabitants, availing theminstinct; and every one knows how selves of the imitative faculties, and greatly the monkey exceeds all other the agility of the monkies, are able brutes in its vindictive malice. There to procure an infinitely greater quanappears, in some measure, an analo- tity of these articles than they could gy even betwixt the vices (if we may do by any other means. They mount so call them) of the monkies, and

the vest branches of the the disgusting brutality too often ob- trees, break off the extremities where servable in the vicious and degraded the fruit grows, and then descend and part of mankind.

carefully range them together on the The animals of the monkey tribe ground. The animals afterwards asdiffer very essentially from each other cend the same trees, strip the branchin their general manners and liabits es all the way to the top, and dispose of life. The oran otan is susceptible them in a similar manner. After the

a óf more considerable attainments monkies have gone to rest, the Inthan any

of the others. The short diaps returp and carry off the spoil, muzzled monkies, with long tails, In some places it is this inclinasuch as the greater part of the gue- tion to imitate human actions which nons, sapajous, and sagoins, are for leads to their destruction. The In

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dians carry in their hands vessels fil- which they spread a quantity of maize. led with water, and rub their faces They place on the pile some substance, with it, in the presence of the non- which, on being exposest to heat, exkies; then substituting a kind of glue plodes with tremendous noise. This instead of water, leave the vessels be- is contrived to explode during the hind them, and retire. The obser- time that the monkies are employed vant creatures seize the vessels, and in devouring the maize, and, in the do the same ; when the glue, adher-, terror and astonishment, the old ani. ing strongly to their hair and eyelids, mals scamper off on all sides with the completely blinds them, and prevents utmost rapidity, leaving their young every possibility of their effecting an ones a prey to the hunters. escape.

The dexterity of monkies is such, In other places, the natives take to that, although burthened by their the habitations of the monkies a kind offspring clinging to their backs, they of boots, which they put on and pull can leap from tree to tree, if the disoff their legs, several times succes- tance is not very great, and secure sively. These are then rubbed over their hold among the branches with in the inside with a strong glue; and the greatest certainty. When they when the monkies attempt to do the perceive any person taking aiin at same, they are unable to disengage them, either with a gun or bow, they themselves, and, consequently, are cry out and grind their teeth somecaught without difficulty.

times in the most horrible manner. Sometimes the inhabitants carry in They are often able to avoid the ar-, their hands a mirror, and appear to rows that are shot at them, and someamuse themselves by looking at it in times they even catch them in their different attitudes. In place of these bands. When any one of their comthey leave a kind of traps, not unlike munity is shot, and falls to the ground, the glasses in external appearance, all the rest set up a dismal and trewhich, when the animals take them mendous howl, which makes all the

seize and secure them by the paws. adjacent mountains and woods reThe inhabilants of St. Vincent le sound. If a monkey is wounded, Blanc catch monkies in several kinds and does not fall, it frequently liapof traps and soares. Sometimes, when pens that liis companions will seize they have caught the young ones, they and carry it off far beyond the reach put them into a cage, and appear to of their enemy: add miserable is the teaze and forment them, in order that fate of that hunter who is imprudent they nay likewise catch the parents. enough to venture near their baunts

The hunters of sone countries during that same day. When the place near the haunts of moukies animals re-ascend the trees, they each vessels containing strong and intoxi- carty a stone in their hands, and gecating liquors. The animals drink nerally another in their mouths; and, of them, and in a short time become in such case these are thrown at their so drunk as to lie down on the spot adversary with a correctness of aim and fall asleep.

that is truly astonishing. Some of the Indians ascend to the The inhabitants of several counsummits of the mountains in which tries derive a means of subsistence the animals breed, and construct there from the fesh of these animals. We a pile of wood, round the base of are assured by Condamine, that in VOL. XLIX,

Cayenne

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Cayenne the monkies are the kind of

Comets. game that is more frequently pursued

other; and that the Indiaus In the evening of Morday, the 12th of the country bortering on the river iust. the following phænomena were of the Aniazons are peculiarly fond distinctly, seen from Stob's Castle, of their flesh. Their fat is esteemed Roxburghshire: a sovereign remedy for stiffness in The Comet became visible immethe joints. In the Portuguese settle- diately after twilight, at a considerable ments, in South America, powdered elevation in the heavens, nearly due monkies' bones are considered arex- west, and set about one-half past eight cellent sudorific, and likewise as an- o'clock, within a few degrees of northti-venereal. In the gall-bladder of west. The nucleus, or star, when one or two of the Indian species (but vieved through a small telescope, apparticularly of the doric and wande- peared about the size of a star of the ru), a kind of gall-stone is sometimes first inagnitude, but less vivid, and found. These, says Tavernier, the of a pale dusky colour. The atmoswatives have been known to sell for phere of the Comet, owing to the lias much as a hundred crowns each.mited power of the telescope, was They will not, in general, permit barely perceptible. The tail, daily them to be exported out of their increasing in magnitude and splencountry as articles of commerce, but dour, as the Comet approaches the & chiefly preserve them as an invaluable sun, appeared sometimes extremely

present to foreign ambassadors resi- brilliant, seeming to be a vibration of ding amongst them. . They are con- luminous particles, somewhat resemsidered to possess all the properties bling the aurora borealis, and at other that liave been attributed to the most times almost to disappear. From the precious of the bezoar stoves. arch described by the Comet in the Christ Church, Feb. 1, 1807. heavens, in the short space of two

hours, its velocity must be immense.

By the nearest computation which Ornithology.

circumstances and situation allowed,

supposing the Comet as far distant as In the neighbourhood of Halifax, the sun, or about 12,000 diameters a great natural curiosity has excited of the earth, it must be moving in the admiration of inapy scores of peo- the present stage of its perihelion, at ple, who have gone to see it: it is a the amazing velocity of nearly a milwhite sky-lark! the particular divi- lion of miles an hour, or upwards of sion and tribe of birds to which it be- 16,000 miles a minute! Such astoJongs, is sufficiently identified by its nishing rapidity is indeed almost infigure and note. It was last spring conceivable ; but the velocity of the taken out of a nest of larks, distin- Comet, observed at Palermo, in 1770, guished from its companions only by by Mr. Brydone, was still more re. its colour. This singular bird has markable, which, in 24 hours, deshed its feathers, and is now a shin- scribed an arch in the heavens of uping milk while. It is in the posses- wards of 50 degrees in length, and sion of Jow Whitehead, at Brock- was computed by that ingenious geuwell Bank, on the old road to Roch- tleman to be moving at the rate of dale,

sixty millions of miles in a day, or

upwards

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upwards of 40,000 miles in a mi- to the sun, must have been 2000 times nute.

greater than that of red-hot iron; The comets belonging to our solar consequently, if we suppose that Coa system are supposed to amount to met to be of the same dimensions about 450 ; but ihe elements or pe with the earth, and to cool po faster riodical times of a small number on- than red-hot iron, it would require ly of these have been precisely calcu- upwards of a hundred millions of lated. From the many accurate ob years to cool; and from its periodiservations made by Sir Isaac Newton, cal revolution in the short space of on the great Comet of 1680, they 575 years, must remain for ever in were first discovered to be a kind of a state of the most violent ignition. planets moving in very eccentric ellip- This Comet, according to Halley, tical orbits, and with accelerated ve- “in passing through its southern node, locity as they approach their perihe- came within the length of the sun's lion. That remarkable Comet was semidiameter of the earth's orbit.”. supposed to be the same which had Had the earth been then in that part appeared in 1106, in the time of of her orbit nearest to that node, the Henry I.-in the year 531, in the mutual gravitation of two such large consulship of Lampadins--- and in the bodies, with so rapid a motion as that year 44, B.C. before Julius Cæsar was of this Comet, must not only have deinurdered. Its next appearance will ranged the plane of the earth's orbit, be in the year 2255, about four cen- but by coming in contact with the turies bence.

earth (a circumstance by no means The Comet which appeared in 1759 deemed improbable by the most enwas pretty accurately predicted by the lightened philosophers), the shock learned Dr. Halley, and may again must have reduced this beautiful be expected to appear about the year frame to its original chaos, or trans 1835. The best astronomers are ge- ported it beyond the limits of the nerally agreed, that comets are opaque Georgium Şidus, into the boundless bodies, enlightened by the sun; but depths of infinite space. the precise nature of their substance, But language sinks beneatli contem which is capable of sustaining the platior so

sublime, and so well calcumost violent degrees of heat, cannot lated to inspire the most awful șentibe deterinined by the limited faculties ments of the wisdom, providence, and of man. The illustrious Newton cake power, of the Great Creator of the culated, that the heat of the great universe! Comet of 1680, in its pear approach October 26, 1807.

859

USEFUL PROJECTS.

Ltsts of Patents for Inventions, &c. riage-wheels. Dated November 20, granted in the year 1807. 1806.

James Henckell, of the city of (Chiefly from the Repertory of Arts, Ma. London, merchant; for certaiu in. aufactures, and Ayriculture.]

provements on a machine for dress.

ing coffee or barley, or any other *OSEPH MOSELEY ELLIOT, corn, grain, pulse, seed, and berries.

, Clerkenwell, in the county of Mid- foreigner residing abroad.

Dated dlesex, watchmaker; for a new or November 20, 1806. improved melhod of making and William Nicholson, of Soho-square, constructing repeaters, or repeating in the county of Middlesex, gentle watches, and time-pieces. Dated man; for various improvements in October 30, 1806.

the application of steam to useful Robert Vazie, of the parish of purposes, and in the apparatus reSt. Mary Rotherhithe, in the county quired to the same. Dated Novemof Surrey, civil engineer; for im- ber 22, 1806. provenients in the measures, and in James Frederick Matthey, of Suf the machinery to be used in making folk-street, Charing-cross, in the city bricks and earthen-ware, and also for of Westminster, lieutenant in De improvements in the carriages for Meuron's regiment; for various inremoving the said articles. Dated provements upon fire-arms and guns November 6, 1806.

of all descriptions. Dated DecenJames Roystou, of Halifax, in the ber 4, 1806. county of York, card-maker; for an Samuel Williainson, of Knutsford, improvement on the system of card in the county of Chester, weaver ; making, by a method of cutting teeth fór an improvement in weaving cotfor carding wool and tow, Dated ton, sill, woollen, worsted, and moNovember 6, 1806.

hair, and each of them, and every · John Win. Iloyd, late of Brooke two or more of them, by loomis. street, Grosvenor-square, in the Dated December 4, 1806. county of Middlesex, but now of Williain Hyde Wollaston, of the Bishop Wearmouth, in the county of parish of St. Mary-la-bonne, in the Durbam, esq; for anti-friction rollers county of Middleser gentlemau : ar wheels, to assist all sorts of car- for an instrument whereby any per

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