Those,
however, which swarm with frogs, toads, newts, efts, &c., are harmless,
and may be safely used for culinary purposes. In short, I know of no
drawback but one, which, I am sanguine, may be got over hereafter, and
do earnestly hope and advise, if things are no better in England than
when I left, you, and as many as you can persuade, will sell off all,
and come over to this African Paradise. The drawback I speak of is
this:--Although I have never seen any one of the creatures, it is too
certain that the mountains are inhabited by a race of monkeys, whose
cunning and mischievous talents exceed even the most incredible stories
of their tribe. No human art or vigilance seems of avail: we have
planned ambuscades, and watched night after night, but no attempt has
been made; yet the moment the guard was relaxed, we were stripped
without mercy. I am convinced they must have had spies night and day on
our motions--yet so secretly and cautiously, that no glimpse of one has
yet been seen by any of our people. Our last crop was cut and carried
off with the precision of an English harvesting. Our spirit stores--(you
will be amazed to hear that these creatures pick locks with the
dexterity of London burglars)--have been broken open and ransacked,
though half the establishment were on the watch; and the brutes have
been off to their mountains, five miles distant, without even the dogs
giving an alarm. I could almost persuade myseif at times, such are their
supernatural knowledge, swiftness, and invisibility, that we have to
contend with evil spirits.
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