I held Fritz's arm, who was preparing to shoot at them, to his great vexation, as he was irritated against the poor monkeys for their derisive gestures; but I told him, that though no patron of monkeys myself, I could not allow it.

We had no right to kill any animal except in defence, or as a means of supporting life.

Besides, the monkeys would be of more use to us living than dead, as I would show him.

I began to throw stones at the monkeys, not being able, of course, to reach the place of their retreat, and they, in their anger, and in the spirit of imitation, gathered the nuts and hurled them on us in such quantities, that we had some difficulty in escaping from them.

We had soon a large stock of cocoa-nuts.