Scrapbook page 5
The monkeys in a barrel are a detail from part viii of Planetarium.
They’re coarse monkeys because they grew up (before escaping; their story is in the text, of course) in a travelling circus, although perhaps just how coarse is mostly obvious to British readers who can appreciate the satisfaction of a well-flicked V.
“They badly overestimated the enjoyment that can be had in a voyage under such cramped conditions — a barrelful of monkeys is not invariably fun, despite what idioms might have you believe.”