in a minute. We ought to remark, that this monkey was of a very low stature, and that in all animals, the shorter they are the quicker is their pulse. These facts, which are well authenticated, sufficiently prove (independently of others) that the smallpox and measles are not diseases entirely confined to the human species; but that animals, as well as men, are liable to receive the infection from them. Numerous instances have occurred of the smallpox being communicated to and from animals. Those from cattle are now well known. A shepherd infected with the smallpox has been known to communicate the disease to his sheep, and these sheep to those of another flock. A horse has been observed to be covered with the pustules of the smallpox. Goats are sometimes attacked by it; and, when this is the case, great numbers generally perish. [See Roder. à Castro, lib. 4. de Meteor. Microc. cap. 6.] This dreadful contagion is likewise frequently known to extend to the flocks of raindeer in Lapland.

Such is the summary of the principal observations that have been transmitted to us by different travellers, respecting the manners and habits of life of the animals which constitute this interesting tribe; and from what has been said, it appears that they have a nearer alliance than any other quadruped, in the general conformation of their bodies, to the human race. They consequently have the art of imitating human actions better than any others, since they are able to use their fore feet as hands. From the general organization of the monkeys, they are likewise capable of an education nearer allied to that of man, than any other animal. Some naturalists have attributed infinitely too much sagacity to them, whilst others have certainly not allowed enough. The monkeys 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 monkeys. and the disgusting brutality too often observable in the vitious 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 monkeys, with long tails, such as the greater part of the guenons, 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 muzzles, are so savage and ferocious as to be incapable of any education whatever.

The monkeys 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 characteristicks that are peculiar to themselves: such, amongst others, are the situation and separation of the nasal orifices; and the presence of two additional grinders in each jaw. We, likewise, are acquainted with no species of monkey, belonging to the ancient world, that has a preheusile 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 monkeys, even in their wild state, are rendered serviceable to mankind. It is said, that in districts where pepper and cocoa

grow, the inhabitants, availing them selves of the imitative faculties and the agility of the monkeys, 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 branches all the way to the top, and dispose them in a similar manner. After the monkeys 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 monkeys; then substituting a kind of glue instead of water, leave the vessels behind them and retire. The observant 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 an escape.

In other places, the natives take to the habitations of the monkeys 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 monkeys 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 monkeys in several kinds of traps and snares, Some

times, 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 monkeys vessels containing strong and intoxicating liquors. The animals drink of them, and in a short 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 monkeys are employed in devouring the maize, and, in the terrour 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 monkeys is such, that, although burthened by their offspring clinging to their backs, they can leap from tree to tree, if the distance is not very great, and secure their hold among the branches with the greatest certainty. When they perceive any 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 community 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 imprudent enough to venture near their haunts during that same day. When the

animals reascend the trees, they each carry a stone in their hands, and generally another in their mouths; and, in such case, 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 monkeys 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 peculiarly fond of their flesh. Their fat is esteemed a sovereign remedy for stiffness in the joints. In the Portuguese settlements in South America, powdered monkey's bones are consi

dered an excellent sudorifick, and likewise as anti-venereal. In the gallbladder of one or two of the Indian species, but particularly of the dorick 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 ambassadours residing amongst them. They are considered to possess all the properties that have been attributed to the most precious of the bezoar stones.

Christ Church.

W. BINGLEY.

THOSE persons who are totally unacquainted with the operation of chymistry, will not readily believe that the most precious stone in the world, is nothing but modified charcoal; and that, far from being indestructible, it may be entirely consumed by fire. Such, however, is the fact; for the knowledge of which we are particularly indebted to the decisive experiment of Mr. Tennant; though other chymists have not been deficient in their operation on the same subject. It was found, from some experiments which preceded "those of Mr. Tennant, that the diamond, though it was capable of resist ing the effects of violent heat in a close vessel, might be consumed when exposed to the joint action of heat and air.

These experiments, however, if we except those by Lavoisier, only proved the inflammability of the diamond. Mr. Tennant and, we ought to add, Mr. Guyton, went further, and not only proved its combustible nature, but likewise ascertained its component parts. According, therefore, to the present arrangement of

minerals, this substance is placed among the combustible bodies: nevertheless, we have taken the liberty to leave it at the head of the precious stones, as a more natural, though less scientifick, situation than the other.

Diamonds, when brought to Europe in their rough state, are said to be either in the shape of roundish pebbles with shining surfaces, or in octaëdral crystals; but they are not entirely confined to this form, as they vary in several respects, and some times occur with twenty-four, and even forty-eight sides.

These precious stones are principally found in the East Indies, in the kingdoms of Golconda and Visapour in the peninsula on this side the Ganges, nearly eighteen degrees from the line. They are likewise in the kingdoms of Pegu and of Siam, in Brasil, and in South America. One circumstance is worthy of remark respecting the situation of diamond mines. It is, that those of America are at the same distance in the southern hemisphere that the Asiatic

mines are in the northern. The diamonds of India are, in general, larger, and of a finer water, than those of Brasil, but by no means so abundant. As a proof of this, Patrin tells us, that when the mines of Brasil were first discovered, the Portuguese were so successful in their researches, that in 1730, the Rio Janeiro fleet brought away eleven hundred and forty-six ounces. This prodigious quantity, brought immediately into the market, so reduced the price of diamonds, that, to prevent their becoming too common, the court of Portugal afterwards confined the employment of diamond hunting to a certain number of per

sons.

The account which Tavernier has given us of the diamond mines of Asia is very circumstantial, and deserves our particular attention, as being written by a person who travelled so many years for the sole purpose of collecting diamonds. The first mine he visited was at Raolconda, in the kingdom of Visapour; and the account he gives of this place is nearly as follows:

"Round about the place where the diamonds are found, the ground is sandy and full of rocks, which contain veins from half a finger to a finger wide. These veins are full of earth, or sand, which the miners pick out with instruments on purpose, and carefully deposit in a tub, as it is amongst this earth that the diamonds are found. They are sometimes obliged to break the rock in order to trace the veins for the sake of the earth; and as soon as this is accomplished, and all the sand removed, it is carefully washed two or three times and the diamonds, if there be any, picked out. There are several diamond cutters at this mine, but none of them have above one mill, which is of steel. They never cut more than one stone at a time upon each mill, and use oil and diamond powder to facilitate the operation, at the same time loading the stone with a heavy. weight."

According to this account of Tavernier's, the Indian lapidaries are very expert in cutting the diamonds, and will frequently undertake to divide a stone, which, from its unfavourable appearance, the Europeans will not venture upon.

Speaking of the government of the mines, Tavernier says, they trade very freely and honestly, the king receiving two per cent. on all that are bought, besides a certain duty from the merchants for leave to dig. When these traders have fixed upon a spot, they begin their search, and employ a number of miners, in proportion to the hurry they may be in.

Sometimes a hundred men are em ployed at once; and when this is the case, the merchant pays four pagodas to the king for every day they work, and two when the number is not so great.

When Tavernier visited these mines, the poor people never got above three pagodas* for the labour of a year, though they understand their business extremely well. These trifling wages, and the distress they suffer in consequence, make them hide a stone whenever they can find an opportunity. This, it must be confessed, is but seldom, as, besides being strictly guarded, they work almost naked; and therefore, not having any outward protection for their stolen goods, they are sometimes induced to swallow them. When any of these people chance to meet with a large stone, they carry it to the master of the work, who rewards them accordingly.

Every day, after dinner, the master of the miners brings the diamonds to the lodgings of the merchants, in order to show them; and if the stones are large, or sufficiently numerous to amount to more than the sum of two thousand crowns, he will leave them for some days, that the merchants may have time to consider their value, and agree about the price. This, it seems, they are

About 11. 58. 6d.

obliged to do before the return of the owner, who will never bring the same stones again, unless mixed with others.

It appears from Tavernier's account, that the diamond traffick is carried on by persons of all ages, and that even children are taught to barter for them. "It is very pleasant," says the traveller, "to see the young children of the merchants and other people of the country, from the age of ten to fifteen or sixteen years, who seat themselves on a tree that lies in a void place in the town. Every one of them has his diamond weights in a little bag hanging at one side; on the other his purse, with five or six hundred pagodas in gold in it. There they sit, expecting when any person will come to sell them some diamonds. If any person brings them a stone, they put it into the hands of the eldest boy amongst them, who is, as it were, their chief, who looks upon it, and after that gives it to him that is next him; by which means it goes from hand to hand, till it returns to him again, none of the rest speaking a word. After that he demands the price to buy it, if possible; but if he buy it too dear, it is upon his own account. In the evening the children compute what they have laid out; when they look upon their stones, and separate them according to their water, their weight, and clear ness. Then they bring them to the principal merchants, who have generally great parcels to match; and the profit is divided among the children equally, only the chief among them has a fourth in the hundred more than the rest. Young as they are, they so well understand the price of stones, that if one of them has made any purchase, and is willing to lose one half in the hundred, the other will give him his money."

The secrecy which the Indians observe in their dealings with each other is singular enough; for they will contrive to sell the same parcel of diamonds several times to each other

without speaking a word; so that no by stander can possibly tell what they have been doing. The manner in which this is accomplished has been thus described by Tavernier: "The buyer and seller sit one before another like two tailors; and the seller, opening his girdle, takes the right hand of the purchaser, and conveys it, together with his own, beneath his girdle, where the bargain is secretly driven in the presence of many merchants, without the knowledge of any one.

The parties never speak or make any signs with their mouths or eyes, but only converse with their hands; and this is managed in the following manner :-When the seller takes the purchaser by the whole hand, it signifies a thousand; and as often as he squeezes it, it means so many thousand pagodas or rupees, according to the money in question. If he takes but half, to the knuckle of the middle finger, that is as much as to say fifty; the small end of the finger to the first knuckle signifies ten. When he grasps five fingers, it signifies five hundred; but if one finger, one hundred.”

Seven days journey from Golconda, towards the east, there is another diamond mine, called Gani, or, in the Persian language, Coulour. This mine is said to have been discovered by a countryman, who, digging a piece of ground to sow millet, found a pointed stone that weighed above twenty-five carats. This, being carried to Golconda, immediately induced the inhabitants to search further; and such was the success of their industry, that not only many other stones of considerable size were found, but the wonderful diamond, weighing nine hundred carats, which Mirzimala afterwards presented to Aureng-zeb.

When Tavernier first visited this mine, there were about sixty thousand persons at work, consisting of men, women, and children; the men being employed to dig, the women and children to carry the earth. When