Pottery-Making Monkeys.

Bush Advocate, Volume XI, Issue 860, 18 November 1893, Page 5

Pottery-Making Monkeys.

An extriiordinßry story is told by the "Daily News," which states that l)i MacKowau lirh returned to Tien-tsin, briniring with him, among other curious discoveries, some particulars of a race of Mimcburian monkeys inhabiting the mountain region of the Great Wall of China. They are said to know how to make pottery ; more remarkable still, they are represented as havintr mado extraordinary progress iv the art ot mHlciug wine. A recent edition of the oflioial hintory ot Yungping states that lately a largo body .of immigrating monkeys passed a "certain village iv crossing from one mountain to another. The boys of the Tillage clapped their hands and f-houted at the spectacle, and the monkey*, being frightened, lied, taking their young in their arms, but dropping in their Might a number of cartueuwaro voesels, coma of which would a hold a quart. On oponing those, the viilagerti found they contained two kinds of wine, a pink and a green, that had been made from mountain berries. It ia allirmed that the monkeys store thi.s liquor for use in the winter when the wtuer ie all frozen. Dr. Mftcgowau cites other independent testimonies to sitnilitr facts, inciudiuga Chiueße account of monkeys in I,'heki.ing who pound fruit in stouo mortars to make into wino, and he aßks, "Is it likely tbiit all these statements are puro inventions?"