A Water Monkey.

Bush Advocate, Volume XI, Issue 869, 9 December 1893, Page 5

A Water Monkey.

Monkeys, as is well known, are like oats in their dread of getting wet. Cv shipboard (says a correspondent) I have often laughed to see them scampering from a heavy spray as it dashed over the deok, or huddling together under the lee of the long-boat daring a passing shower. But on the ship Euphrates we had a monkey that was actually fond of swimming. One day while we were anchored in the roadstead off Cape Coast Castle, on the west coast of Africa, the passengers were seated under the awning looking at some jewellery taat had been brought on board by the natives and offered for sale. The captain's wife had a very raw ring made of African gold, and engraved with the signs of the zodiac. It had been brought to her as an engagement ring by her husband, and was dearer to her from the f aot that he had been wrecked and piokedup at sea with it on his finger/ One oi the lady passenger's, who had been looking at the ring, and whoso attention waa 1 attracted by somo of the native' jewellery, placed it on the cabin skylight beside her. The next moment our pet monkey jumped on the skylight, seized the ring, and putting it in bis mouth jumped on the main deok and ran forward. Instantly every one was on his feet ofaasing the monkey. It ran from one end of the deck to the other, and then olimbed aloft. Some of tho sailors went np and drove it down again. When it reached the railing of the bulwarks, it paused and looked around ; the sailors were fast closing iv on it, and without a moment's hesitation it jumped overboard. On rising to the surface, it tried to climb up the vessel's side, but her oopper was high out of the water, and it could sret no hold with its paws. Then it dived, gwam under the chip's bottom, and came to the surface on the other side. This performance it repeated three or four times. While this was soing on the oapcain's wife remained seated. Tears were in tier eyes as ene spoke to the sailors. " Never mind," she said, "don't chase the poor monkey any more; it doesn't know any better. Its instincts teach it to steal." She had hardly finished speaking when the monkey came over the quarter of the vessel and with a rush leaped across the deck, jumped into her lap, and putting its little fingers into its mouth, drew the 'ring out of the cheek-pouch at the side of its jaws, and dropped it into her lap. " , With a cry of joy she placed it on her finger, and taking the dripping monkey in tier arms, she pressed it against her bosom and kissed its little black, upturned faoe.