MISGIVINGS. 207 CHAPTFR XVII. MISGIVINGS. MoST travellers who hâve passed a nîght în a South American forest hâve been roused from their slumbers by a matinée musicale more fantastic than mclodious, performed by monkeys, as their ordinary greeting of the dawn. The yellîng, chatterîng, screeching, hovvling, ail unité to form a chorus almost unearthly in its hideousness. Amongst the various spécimens of the numerous famîly of the quadrumana ought to be recognized the h'ttle mari- kina ; the sagouin, wîth its parti-coloured face ; the grey mora, the skîn of whîch is used by the Indians for covering their gun-locks ; the sapajou, with its sîngular tuft overthe forehead, and, most remarkablc of ail, the guariba {Simia Bcclzebul) with its préhensile tail and diabolical counte- nance. At the first streak of daylîght the senior member, as choragus, wîll start the kcy-note in a sonorous barj'tonc, the younger monkeys join in ténor and alto, and the concert begîns. But this morning thcrc was no concert at ail. There was nothing of the wonted sérénade to break the silence of the forest. The shrill notes resulting from the rapid vibration of the hyoid bones of the throat were not to be heard. Indians would hâve been disappointed and perplexed ; they are very fond of the flesh of the guariba when smoked and dried, and they would certainly hâve missed the chant of the monkey " paternosters ;" but Dick Sands and his companions were unfamiliar with any
