I found the following in the excellent 19th Century British Library Newspaper database, from the Caledonian Mercury of March 21st 1842 9in fact the phrase “strange animal” brought up 599 hits!!
“ A STRAY MONKEY-Wednesday morning one of the tenants of Daviot in this county informed his proprietor (Mackintosh younger of Mackintosh) that a strange looking animal had been seen in the neighbourhood, and was in that moment in pursuit of one of his children. His wife and neighbours were in a state of utmost alarm and dared not approach the creature, which grinned at them like an evil spirit! On repairing to the spot, the animal was indistinctly seen in a bush at some distance, and Mackintosh immediately fired at it and killed it. The strange visitant that caused so much terror, proved to be a fine old monkey, in excellent condition. Where the wanderer had strayed from, to that comparatively secluded Highland spot, could not be ascertained “- Inverness Courier (1)
1. Caledonian Mercury March 21st 1842.
“ A STRAY MONKEY-Wednesday morning one of the tenants of Daviot in this county informed his proprietor (Mackintosh younger of Mackintosh) that a strange looking animal had been seen in the neighbourhood, and was in that moment in pursuit of one of his children. His wife and neighbours were in a state of utmost alarm and dared not approach the creature, which grinned at them like an evil spirit! On repairing to the spot, the animal was indistinctly seen in a bush at some distance, and Mackintosh immediately fired at it and killed it. The strange visitant that caused so much terror, proved to be a fine old monkey, in excellent condition. Where the wanderer had strayed from, to that comparatively secluded Highland spot, could not be ascertained “- Inverness Courier (1)
1. Caledonian Mercury March 21st 1842.
..It would really be good to know exactly what kind of a monkey it had been. My guess is that it was a barbary ape, but that is still only a guess.
ReplyDeleteBest Wishes, Dale D.