vourite and peculiar food, and on
this account called the monkeys' bread-fruit. In fact, my companion and
I now suspected that the great tree was their habitual place of resort--
their roost or dwelling-place--and that they had been just on their way
home, from their day's rambling in the woods, when they first came upon
us. This would account for the fierce and unprovoked attack which they
had at once made upon our camp.

Under all these considerations then it was no wonder that neither of us
thought of going to sleep, but on the contrary, sat up throughout the
whole night, kept awake by a full apprehension of our peril. We had
hopes--though we were far from being sanguine about it--that as soon as
day broke, our besiegers might be tempted to follow their habitual
routine, and might go off into the woods.

Alas! when morning came, we saw to our dismay that they had no such
design; from their cries and gestures we were satisfied that the siege
was to be sustained. They were all there--all that we had seen upon the
preceding night--and it appeared as if there were many more. No doubt
others had joined them from the woods; for there were not less than a
hundred of them. The hideous brutes appeared all around--some squatted
on the ground, some up in the branches of the baobab--and in the midst
of a chattering group we could see the carcass of the one that had been
killed while close by was the wounded individual, also surrounded by
sympathising friends.

Now and again, a band would collect together; and apparently inspired by
a fresh burst of rage, would crowd up to the entrance of our asylum, and
renew their attack upon the barricade. We, as before, would repel them,
until they perceived that their attempts were futile, and then they
would desist, and retire until something arising among themselves seemed
to instigate them to a renewed assault.

This was their conduct throughout the whole of that day, and during all
the time were we kept shut up in our gloomy cell. We had strengthened
our barricade--by materials obtained from the third malefactor--and so
far felt safe enough; but we now began to have fears of another enemy--
one that was as terrible in its attack, and as powerful to destroy, as
either the mandrills, or the strong lion himself. That enemy was not
new to us; we had already had an encounter with it; we had met it among
the branches of the dragon-tree, and we were now to meet it again beside
the