Afloat in the forest, or, A voyage among the tree-tops . , as a fast-running stream,where they would be drowned if they fell in. But how do they accomplish it? To make a bridge re-quires a skilled engineer among men ; are there such amongmonkeys ? Well, young master, I wont call it such skill; but its verylike it. When on their grand journeyings they come to astream, or even an igarape like this, and find they cant leapfrom the trees on one side to those growing on the other, it isthen necessary for them to make the bridge. They go up ordown the bank till they find two tall trees opposite each
Afloat in the forest, or, A voyage among the tree-tops . , as a fast-running stream,where they would be drowned if they fell in. But how do they accomplish it? To make a bridge re-quires a skilled engineer among men ; are there such amongmonkeys ? Well, young master, I wont call it such skill; but its verylike it. When on their grand journeyings they come to astream, or even an igarape like this, and find they cant leapfrom the trees on one side to those growing on the other, it isthen necessary for them to make the bridge. They go up ordown the bank till they find two tall trees opposite eachother. They climb to a high branch on the one, and then,linking together, as you ve seen them, they set their stringin motion, and swing backward and forward, till one at theend can clutch a branch of the tree, on the opposite side. THE MUNDURUCU DISCOURSES OF MONKEYS. 129 This- done the bridge is made, and all the troop, the old onesthat are too stiff to take a great leap, and the young onesthat are too weak, run across upon the bodies of their stout-. er comrades. When all have ... passed over, the monkey at the ||§jji| other end of the string lets go ^=^= his hold upon the branch ; and Slllfi if he should be flung into the water, it dont endanger him, as he instantly climbs up the bodies - _ ^Sg of those above him, the next -?? ...._±-^w _ ,^_r. --=?- doing the same, and the next also, until all have got safe into the trees. Be japers, exclaimed Tipperary Tom, its wonderfulhow the craythers can do it! But, Misther Munday, haveyez iver seen them fall from a tree-top ? No, never. But I ve known one to leap from the top ofa tree full a hundred feet in height. 6* i 130 AFLOAT IN THE FOREST. Shure it was kilt dead then ? If it was it acted very oddly for a dead animal, as it hadscarce touched the ground when it sprang back up anothertree of equal height, and scampered to the top branchesnearly as quick as it came down. Ah ! sighed Trevannion, if we had only the activity ofthese
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