1863
ONTHENATURALHISTORYOFTHE
MAN-LIKEAPES
Ancienttraditions,whentestedbythesevereprocessesofmoderninvestigation,commonlyenoughfadeawayintomeredreams:butitissingularhowoftenthedreamturnsouttohavebeenahalf-wakingone,presagingareality。Ovidforeshadowedthediscoveriesofthegeologist:theAtlantiswasanimagination,butColumbusfoundawesternworld:andthoughthequaintformsofCentaursandSatyrshaveanexistenceonlyintherealmsofart,creaturesapproachingmanmorenearlythantheyinessentialstructure,andyetasthoroughlybrutalasthegoat’sorhorse’shalfofthemythicalcompound,arenownotonlyknown,butnotorious。
IhavenotmetwithanynoticeofoneoftheseMAN-LIKEAPESofearlierdatethanthatcontainedinPigafetta’s’DescriptionoftheKingdomofCongo,’*drawnupfromthenotesofaPortuguesesailor,EduardoLopez,andpublishedin1598。Thetenthchapterofthisworkisentitled\"DeAnimalibusquaeinhacprovinciareperiuntur,\"andcontainsabriefpassagetotheeffectthat\"intheSongancountry,onthebanksoftheZaire,therearemultitudesofapes,whichaffordgreatdelighttothenoblesbyimitatinghumangestures。\"Asthismightapplytoalmostanykindofapes,Ishouldhavethoughtlittleofit,hadnotthebrothersDeBry,whoseengravingsillustratethework,thoughtfit,intheireleventh’Argumentum,’tofiguretwoofthese\"Simiaemagnatumdeliciae。\"Somuchoftheplateascontainstheseapesisfaithfullycopiedinthewoodcut(Fig。1),anditwillbeobservedthattheyaretail-less,long-armed,andlarge-eared;andaboutthesizeofChimpanzees。Itmaybethattheseapesareasmuchfigmentsoftheimaginationoftheingeniousbrothersasthewinged,two-legged,crocodile-headeddragonwhichadornsthesameplate;or,ontheotherhand,itmaybethattheartistshaveconstructedtheirdrawingsfromsomeessentiallyfaithfuldescriptionofaGorillaoraChimpanzee。
And,ineithercase,thoughthesefiguresareworthapassingnotice,theoldesttrustworthyanddefiniteaccountsofanyanimalofthiskinddatefromthe17thcentury,andareduetoanEnglishman。
[FOOTNOTE]*REGNUMCONGO:hocestVERADESCRIPTIOREGNI
AFRICANIQUODTAMABINCOLISQUAMLUSITANISCONGUS
APPELLATUR,perPhilippumPigafettam,olimexEdoardoLopezacroamatislinguaItalicaexcerpta,numLatiosermonedonataabAugust。Cassiod。Reinio。Iconibusetimaginibusrerummemorabiliumquasivivis,operaetindustriaJoan。TheodorietJoan。IsraelisdeBry,fratrumexornata。Francofurti,MDXCVIII。
FIG。1。——SIMIAEMAGNATUMDELICIAE。——DeBry,1598。
Thefirsteditionofthatmostamusingoldbook,’PurchashisPilgrimage,’waspublishedin1613,andthereinaretobefoundmanyreferencestothestatementsofonewhomPurchasterms\"AndrewBattell(myneereneighbour,dwellingatLeighinEssex)whoservedunderManuelSilveraPerera,GovernorundertheKingofSpaine,athiscityofSaintPaul,andwithhimwentfarreintothecountreyofAngola\";andagain,\"myfriend,AndrewBattle,wholivedinthekingdomofCongomanyyeares,\"andwho,\"uponsomequarellbetwixtthePortugals(amongwhomhewasasergeantofaband)andhim,livedeightorninemonethsinthewoodes。\"Fromthisweather-beatenoldsoldier,Purchaswasamazedtohear\"ofakindeofGreatApes,iftheymightsobeetermed,oftheheightofaman,buttwiceasbiggeinfeatureoftheirlimmes,withstrengthproportionable,hairieallover,otherwisealtogetherlikemenandwomenintheirwholebodilyshape。*Theylivedonsuchwildefruitsasthetreesandwoodsyielded,andinthenighttimelodgedonthetrees。\"
[footnote]*\"Exceptthisthattheirleggeshadnocalves。\"——[Ed。1626。]Andinamarginalnote,\"ThesegreatapesarecalledPongo’s。\"
Thisextractis,however,lessdetailedandclearinitsstatementsthanapassageinthethirdchapterofthesecondpartofanotherwork——’PurchashisPilgrimes,’publishedin1625,bythesameauthor——whichhasbeenoften,thoughhardlyeverquiterightly,cited。
Thechapterisentitled,\"ThestrangeadventuresofAndrewBattell,ofLeighinEssex,sentbythePortugalsprisonertoAngola,wholivedthereandintheadioiningregionsneereeighteeneyeeres。\"Andthesixthsectionofthischapterisheaded——\"OftheProvincesofBongo,Calongo,Mayombe,Manikesocke,Motimbas:oftheApeMonsterPongo,theirhunting:Idolatries;anddiversotherobservations。\"
\"Thisprovince(Calongo)towardtheeastborderethuponBongo,andtowardthenorthuponMayombe,whichisnineteenleaguesfromLongoalongthecoast。
\"ThisprovinceofMayombeisallwoodsandgroves,soover-grownethatamanmaytravailetwentiedaysintheshadowwithoutanysunneorheat。
Hereisnokindofcornenorgraine,sothatthepeoplelivethonelyuponplantanesandrootsofsundriesorts,verygood;andnuts;noranykindeoftamecattell,norhens。
\"Buttheyhavegreatstoreofelephant’sflesh,whichtheygreatlyesteeme,andmanykindsofwildbeasts;andgreatstoreoffish。Hereisagreatsandybay,twoleaguestothenorthwardofCapeNegro,*
whichistheportofMayombe。SometimesthePortugalsladelogwoodinthisbay。Hereisagreatriver,calledBanna:inthewinterithathnobarre,becausethegenerallwindscauseagreatsea。Butwhenthesunnehathhissouthdeclination,thenaboatmaygoein;forthenitissmoothbecauseoftheraine。Thisriverisverygreat,andhathmanyilandsandpeopledwellinginthem。Thewoodsaresocoveredwithbaboones,monkies,apesandparrots,thatitwillfeareanymantotravaileinthemalone。Herearealsotwokindsofmonsters,whicharecommoninthesewoods,andverydangerous。
[footnote]*’Purchas’note’。——CapeNegroisin16degreessouthoftheline。
\"ThegreatestofthesetwomonstersiscalledPongointheirlanguage,andthelesseriscalledEngeco。ThisPongoisinallproportionlikeaman;butthatheismorelikeagiantinstaturethanaman;forheisverytall,andhathaman’sface,hollow-eyed,withlonghaireuponhisbrowes。Hisfaceandearesarewithouthaire,andhishandsalso。
Hisbodieisfullofhaire,butnotverythicke;anditisofadunnishcolour。
\"Hedifferethnotfromamanbutinhislegs;fortheyhavenocalfe。
Heegoethalwaiesuponhislegs,andcarriethhishandsclaspedinthenapeofhisneckewhenhegoethupontheground。Theysleepeinthetrees,andbuildsheltersfortheraine。Theyfeeduponfruitthattheyfindinthewoods,anduponnuts,fortheyeatenokindofflesh。
Theycannotspeake,andhavenounderstandingmorethanabeast。Thepeopleofthecountrie,whentheytravaileinthewoodsmakefireswheretheysleepeinthenight;andinthemorningwhentheyaregone,thePongoeswillcomeandsitaboutthefiretillitgoethout;fortheyhavenounderstandingtolaythewoodtogether。Theygoemanytogetherandkillmanynegroesthattravaileinthewoods。Manytimestheyfallupontheelephantswhichcometofeedwheretheybe,andsobeatethemwiththeirclubbedfists,andpiecesofwood,thattheywillrunneroaringawayfromthem。ThosePongoesarenevertakenalivebecausetheyaresostrong,thattenmencannotholdoneofthem;butyettheytakemanyoftheiryoungoneswithpoisonedarrowes。
\"TheyoungPongohangethonhismother’sbellywithhishandsfastclaspedabouther,sothatwhenthecountriepeoplekillanyofthefemalestheytaketheyoungone,whichhangethfastuponhismother。
\"Whentheydieamongthemselves,theycoverthedeadwithgreatheapsofboughsandwood,whichiscommonlyfoundintheforest。\"*
[footnote]*Purchas’marginalnote,p。982:——\"ThePongoagiantape。Hetoldmeinconferencewithhim,thatoneofthesepongoestookeanegroboyofhiswhichlivedamonethwiththem。Fortheyhurtnotthosewhichtheysurpriseatunawares,excepttheylookonthem;whichheavoyded。Hesaidtheirhighthwaslikeaman’s,buttheirbignessetwiceasgreat。Isawthenegroboy。Whattheothermonstershouldbehehathforgottentorelate;andthesepaperscametomyhandsincehisdeath,which,otherwise,inmyoftenconferences,Imighthavelearned。PerhapshemeaneththePigmyPongokillersmentioned。\"
ItdoesnotappeardifficulttoidentifytheexactregionofwhichBattellspeaks。LongoisdoubtlessthenameoftheplaceusuallyspelledLoangoonourmaps。MayombestillliessomenineteenleaguesnorthwardfromLoango,alongthecoast;andCilongoorKilonga,Manikesocke,andMotimbasareyetregisteredbygeographers。TheCapeNegroofBattell,however,cannotbethemodernCapeNegroin16
degreesS。,sinceLoangoitselfisin4degreesS。latitude。Ontheotherhand,the\"greatrivercalledBanna\"correspondsverywellwiththe\"Camma\"and\"FernandVas,\"ofmoderngeographers,whichformagreatdeltaonthispartoftheAfricancoast。
Nowthis\"Camma\"countryissituatedaboutadegreeanda-halfsouthoftheEquator,whileafewmilestothenorthofthelineliestheGaboon,andadegreeorsonorthofthat,theMoneyRiver——bothwellknowntomodernnaturalistsaslocalitieswherethelargestofman-likeApeshasbeenobtained。Moreover,atthepresentday,thewordEngeco,orN’schego,isappliedbythenativesoftheseregionstothesmallerofthetwogreatApeswhichinhabitthem;sothattherecanbenorationaldoubtthatAndrewBattellspokeofthatwhichheknewofhisownknowledge,or,atanyrate,byimmediatereportfromthenativesofWesternAfrica。The\"Engeco,\"however,isthat\"othermonster\"whosenatureBattell\"forgottorelate,\"whilethename\"Pongo\"——appliedtotheanimalwhosecharactersandhabitsaresofullyandcarefullydescribed——seemstohavediedout,atleastinitsprimitiveformandsignification。Indeed,thereisevidencethatnotonlyinBattell’stime,butuptoaveryrecentdate,itwasusedinatotallydifferentsensefromthatinwhichheemploysit。
Forexample,thesecondchapterofPurchas’work,whichIhavejustquoted,contains\"ADescriptionandHistoricallDeclarationoftheGoldenKingdomofGuinea,etc。etc。TranslatedfromtheDutch,andcomparedalsowiththeLatin,\"whereinitisstated(p。986)that——
\"TheRiverGaboonlyethaboutfifteenmilesnorthwardfromRiodeAngra,andeightmilesnorthwardfromCapedeLopeGonsalves(CapeLopez),andisrightundertheEquinoctialline,aboutfifteenemilesfromSt。
Thomas,andisagreatland,wellandeasilytobeknowne。Atthemouthoftheriverthereliethasand,threeorfourefathomsdeepe,whereonitbeatethmightilywiththestreamewhichrunnethoutoftheriverintothesea。Thisriver,inthemouththereof,isatleastfourmilesbroad;butwhenyouareabouttheIlandcalled’Pongo’,itisnotabovetwomilesbroad……Onbothsidestherivertherestandethmanytrees……TheIlandcalled’Pongo’,whichhathamonstroushighhill。\"
FIG2。——TheOrangofTulpius,1641。
TheFrenchnavalofficers,whoselettersareappendedtothelateM。
IsidoreGeoff。SaintHilaire’sexcellentessayontheGorilla*,noteinsimilartermsthewidthoftheGaboon,thetreesthatlineitsbanksdowntothewater’sedge,andthestrongcurrentthatsetsoutofit。
Theydescribetwoislandsinitsestuary;——onelow,calledPerroquet;
theotherhigh,presentingthreeconicalhills,calledConiquet;andoneofthem,M。Franquet,expresslystatesthat,formerly,theChiefofConiquetwascalled’Meni-Pongo’,meaningtherebyLordof’Pongo’;andthatthe’N’Pongues’(as,inagreementwithDr。Savage,heaffirmsthenativescallthemselves)termtheestuaryoftheGaboonitself’N’Pongo’。
[footnote]*’ArchivesduMuseum’,tomex。
Itissoeasy,indealingwithsavages,tomisunderstandtheirapplicationsofwordstothings,thatoneisatfirstinclinedtosuspectBattellofhavingconfoundedthenameofthisregion,wherehis\"greatermonster\"stillabounds,withthenameoftheanimalitself。
Butheissorightaboutothermatters(includingthenameofthe\"lessermonster\")thatoneislothtosuspecttheoldtravelleroferror;and,ontheotherhand,weshallfindthatavoyagerofahundredyears’laterdatespeaksofthename\"Boggoe,\"asappliedtoagreatApe,bytheinhabitantsofquiteanotherpartofAfrica——SierraLeone。
ButImustleavethisquestiontobesettledbyphilologersandtravellers;andIshouldhardlyhavedweltsolonguponitexceptforthecuriouspartplayedbythisword’Pongo’inthelaterhistoryoftheman-likeApes。
ThegenerationwhichsucceededBattellsawthefirstoftheman-likeApeswhichwaseverbroughttoEurope,or,atanyrate,whosevisitfoundahistorian。InthethirdbookofTulpius’’ObservationesMedicae’,publishedin1641,the56thchapterorsectionisdevotedtowhathecalls’Satyrusindicus’,\"calledbytheIndiansOrang-autangorMan-of-the-Woods,andbytheAfricansQuoiasMorrou。\"Hegivesaverygoodfigure,evidentlyfromthelife,ofthespecimenofthisanimal,\"nostramemoriaexAngoladelatum,\"presentedtoFrederickHenryPrinceofOrange。Tulpiussaysitwasasbigasachildofthreeyearsold,andasstoutasoneofsixyears:andthatitsbackwascoveredwithblackhair。ItisplainlyayoungChimpanzee。
Inthemeanwhile,theexistenceofother,Asiatic,man-likeApesbecameknown,butatfirstinaverymythicalfashion。ThusBontius(1658)
givesanaltogetherfabulousandridiculousaccountandfigureofananimalwhichhecalls\"Orang-outang\";andthoughhesays\"vidiEgocujuseffigiemhicexhibeo,\"thesaideffigies(seeFig。6forHoppius’
copyofit)isnothingbutaveryhairywomanofrathercomelyaspect,andwithproportionsandfeetwhollyhuman。ThejudiciousEnglishanatomist,Tyson,wasjustifiedinsayingofthisdescriptionbyBontius,\"IconfessIdomistrustthewholerepresentation。\"
Itistothelastmentionedwriter,andhiscoadjutorCowper,thatweowethefirstaccountofaman-likeapewhichhasanypretensionstoscientificaccuracyandcompleteness。Thetreatiseentitled,\"’Orang-outang,siveHomoSylvestris’;ortheAnatomyofaPygmiecomparedwiththatofa’Monkey’,an’Ape’,anda’Man’,\"publishedbytheRoyalSocietyin1699,is,indeed,aworkofremarkablemerit,andhas,insomerespects,servedasamodeltosubsequentinquirers。This\"Pygmie,\"Tysontellsus\"wasbroughtfromAngola,inAfrica;butwasfirsttakenagreatdealhigherupthecountry\";itshair\"wasofacoal-blackcolourandstrait,\"and\"whenitwentasaquadrupedonallfour,’twasawkwardly;notplacingthepalmofthehandflattotheground,butitwalk’duponitsknuckles,asIobservedittodowhenweakandhadnotstrengthenoughtosupportitsbody。\"——\"Fromthetopoftheheadtotheheelofthefoot,inastraitline,itmeasuredtwenty-sixinches。\"
FIGS。3and4。——The’Pygmie’reducedfromTyson’sfigures1and2,1699。
Thesecharacters,evenwithoutTyson’sgoodfigures(Figs。3and4),wouldhavebeensufficienttoprovehis\"Pygmie\"tobeayoungChimpanzee。ButtheopportunityofexaminingtheskeletonoftheveryanimalTysonanatomisedhavingmostunexpectedlypresenteditselftome,Iamabletobearindependenttestimonytoitsbeingaveritable’Troglodytesniger’*,thoughstillveryyoung。AlthoughfullyappreciatingtheresemblancesbetweenhisPygmieandMan,Tysonbynomeansoverlookedthedifferencesbetweenthetwo,andheconcludeshismemoirbysummingupfirst,thepointsinwhich\"theOurang-outangorPygmiemoreresembledaManthanApesandMonkeysdo,\"underforty-sevendistinctheads;andthengiving,inthirty-foursimilarbriefparagraphs,therespectsinwhich\"theOurang-outangorPygmiediffer’dfromaManandresembledmoretheApeandMonkeykind。\"
[footnote]*IamindebtedtoDr。Wright,ofCheltenham,whosepaleontologicallaboursaresowellknown,forbringingthisinterestingrelictomyknowledge。Tyson’sgranddaughter,itappears,marriedDr。Allardyce,aphysicianofreputeinCheltenham,andbrought,aspartofherdowry,theskeletonofthe’Pygmie。’Dr。AllardycepresentedittotheCheltenhamMuseum,and,throughthegoodofficesofmyfriendDr。Wright,theauthoritiesoftheMuseumhavepermittedmetoborrow,whatis,perhapsitsmostremarkableornament。
Afteracarefulsurveyoftheliteratureofthesubjectextantinhistime,ourauthorarrivesattheconclusionthathis\"Pygmie\"isidenticalneitherwiththeOrangsofTulpiusandBontius,norwiththeQuoiasMorrouofDapper(orratherofTulpius),theBarrisofd’Arcos,norwiththePongoofBattell;butthatitisaspeciesofapeprobablyidenticalwiththePygmiesoftheAncients,and,saysTyson,thoughit\"doessomuchresemblea’Man’inmanyofitsparts,morethananyoftheapekind,oranyother’animal’intheworld,thatIknowof:yetbynomeansdoIlookuponitastheproductofa’mixt’generation——’tisa’Brute-Animalsuigeneris’,andaparticular’speciesofApe’。\"
Thenameof\"Chimpanzee,\"bywhichoneoftheAfricanApesisnowsowellknown,appearstohavecomeintouseinthefirsthalfoftheeighteenthcentury,buttheonlyimportantadditionmade,inthatperiod,toouracquaintancewiththeman-likeapesofAfricaiscontainedin’ANewVoyagetoGuinea’,byWilliamSmith,whichbearsthedate1744。
IndescribingtheanimalsofSierraLeone,p。51,thiswritersays:——
\"Ishallnextdescribeastrangesortofanimal,calledbythewhitemeninthiscountryMandrill*,butwhyitissocalledIknownot,nordidIeverhearthenamebefore,neithercanthosewhocallthemsotell,exceptitbefortheirnearresemblanceofahumancreature,thoughnothingatalllikeanApe。Theirbodies,whenfullgrown,areasbigincircumferenceasamiddle-sizedman’s——theirlegsmuchshorter,andtheirfeetlarger;theirarmsandhandsinproportion。Theheadismonstrouslybig,andthefacebroadandflat,withoutanyotherhairbuttheeyebrows;thenoseverysmall,themouthwide,andthelipsthin。Theface,whichiscoveredbyawhiteskin,ismonstrouslyugly,beingalloverwrinkledaswitholdage;theteethbroadandyellow;
thehandshavenomorehairthantheface,butthesamewhiteskin,thoughalltherestofthebodyiscoveredwithlongblackhair,likeabear。Theynevergouponallfours,likeapes;butcry,whenvexedorteased,justlikechildren……\"
[footnote]*\"Mandrill\"seemstosignifya\"man-likeape,\"
theword\"Drill\"or\"Dril\"havingbeenancientlyemployedinEnglandtodenoteanApeorBaboon。ThusinthefiftheditionofBlount’s\"Glossographia,oraDictionaryinterpretingthehardwordsofwhatsoeverlanguagenowusedinourrefinedEnglishtongue……veryusefulforallsuchasdesiretounderstandwhattheyread,\"publishedin1681,I
find,\"Dril——astone-cutter’stoolwherewithheboreslittleholesinmarble,etc。AlsoalargeovergrownApeandBaboon,socalled。\"\"Drill\"isusedinthesamesenseinCharleton’s\"OnomasticonZoicon,\"1668。ThesingularetymologyofthewordgivenbyBuffonseemshardlyaprobableone。
FIG。5。——FacsimileofWilliamSmith’sfigureofthe\"Mandrill,\"1744。
\"WhenIwasatSherbro,oneMr。Cummerbus,whomIshallhaveoccasionhereaftertomention,mademeapresentofoneofthesestrangeanimals,whicharecalledbythenativesBoggoe:itwasashe-cub,ofsixmonths’age,buteventhenlargerthanaBaboon。Igaveitinchargetooneoftheslaves,whoknewhowtofeedandnurseit,beingaverytendersortofanimal;butwheneverIwentoffthedeckthesailorsbegantoteazeit——somelovedtoseeitstearsandhearitcry;
othershateditssnottynose;onewhohurtit,beingcheckedbythenegrothattookcareofit,toldtheslavehewasveryfondofhiscountry-woman,andaskedhimifheshouldnotlikeherforawife?Towhichtheslaveveryreadilyreplied,’No,thisnomywife;thisawhitewoman——thisfitwifeforyou。’Thisunluckywitofthenegro’s,I
fancy,hasteneditsdeath,fornextmorningitwasfounddeadunderthewindlass。\"
WilliamSmith’s’Mandrill,’or’Boggoe,’ashisdescriptionandfiguretestify,was,withoutdoubt,aChimpanzee。
FIG。6。——TheAnthropomorphaofLinnaeus。
Linnaeusknewnothing,ofhisownobservation,oftheman-likeApesofeitherAfricaorAsia,butadissertationbyhispupilHoppiusinthe’AmoenitatesAcademicae’(VI。’Anthropomorpha’)mayberegardedasembodyinghisviewsrespectingtheseanimals。
Thedissertationisillustratedbyaplate,ofwhichtheaccompanyingwoodcut,Fig,6,isareducedcopy,Thefiguresareentitled(fromlefttoright)1。’TroglodytaBontii’;2。’LuciferAldrovandi’;3。
’SatyrusTulpii’;4。’PygmaeusEdwardi’。ThefirstisabadcopyofBontius’fictitious’Ourang-outang,’inwhoseexistence,however,Linnaeusappearstohavefullybelieved;forinthestandardeditionofthe’SystemaNaturae’,itisenumeratedasasecondspeciesofHomo;
\"H。nocturnus。\"’LuciferAldrovandi’isacopyofafigureinAldrovandus,’DeQuadrupedibusdigitatisviviparis’,Lib。2,p。249
(1645),entitled\"Cercopithecusformaerarae’Barbilius’vocatusetoriginemachinaducebat。\"Hoppiusisofopinionthatthismaybeoneofthatcat-tailedpeople,ofwhomNicolausKopingaffirmsthattheyeataboat’screw,\"gubernatornavis\"andall!Inthe’SystemaNaturae’
Linnaeuscallsitinanote,’Homocaudatus’,andseemsinclinedtoregarditasathirdspeciesofman。AccordingtoTemminck,’SatyrusTulpii’isacopyofthefigureofaChimpanzeepublishedbyScotinin1738,whichIhavenotseen。Itisthe’Satyrusindicus’ofthe’SystemaNaturae’,andisregardedbyLinnaeusaspossiblyadistinctspeciesfrom’Satyrussylvestris’。Thelast,named’PygmaeusEdwardi’,iscopiedfromthefigureofayoung\"ManoftheWoods,\"ortrueOrang-Utan,giveninEdwards’’GleaningsofNaturalHistory’(1758)。
Buffonwasmorefortunatethanhisgreatrival。NotonlyhadhetherareopportunityofexaminingayoungChimpanzeeinthelivingstate,buthebecamepossessedofanadultAsiaticman-likeApe——thefirstandthelastadultspecimenofanyoftheseanimalsbroughttoEuropeformanyyears。WiththevaluableassistanceofDaubenton,Buffongaveanexcellentdescriptionofthiscreature,which,fromitssingularproportions,hetermedthelong-armedApe,orGibbon。Itisthemodern’Hylobateslar’。
Thuswhen,in1766,Buffonwrotethefourteenthvolumeofhisgreatwork,hewaspersonallyfamiliarwiththeyoungofonekindofAfricanman-likeApe,andwiththeadultofanAsiaticspecies——whiletheOrang-UtanandtheMandrillofSmithwereknowntohimbyreport。
Furthermore,theAbbePrevosthadtranslatedagooddealofPurchas’
PilgrimsintoFrench,inhis’HistoiregeneraledesVoyages’(1748),andthereBuffonfoundaversionofAndrewBattell’saccountofthePongoandtheEngeco。AllthesedataBuffonattemptstoweldtogetherintoharmonyinhischapterentitled\"LesOrang-outangsoulePongoetleJocko。\"Tothistitlethefollowingnoteisappended:——
\"Orang-outangnomdecetanimalauxIndesorientales:PongonomdecetanimalaLowandoProvincedeCongo。
\"Jocko,Enjocko,nomdecetanimalaCongoquenousavonsadopte。’En’
estl’articlequenousavonsretranche。\"
ThusitwasthatAndrewBattell’s\"Engeco\"becamemetamorphosedinto\"Jocko,\"and,inthelattershape,wasspreadallovertheworld,inconsequenceoftheextensivepopularityofBuffon’sworks。TheAbbePrevostandBuffonbetweenthem,however,didagooddealmoredisfigurementtoBattell’ssoberaccountthan’cuttingoffanarticle。’
ThusBattell’sstatementthatthePongos\"cannotspeake,andhavenounderstandingmorethanabeast,\"isrenderedbyBuffon\"qu’ilnepeutparler’quoiqu’ilaitplusd’entendementquelesautresanimaux’\";andagain,Purchas’affirmation,\"Hetoldmeinconferencewithhim,thatoneofthesePongostookeanegroboyofhiswhichlivedamonethwiththem,\"standsintheFrenchversion,\"unpongoluienlevaunpetitnegrequipassaun’an’entierdanslasocietedecesanimaux。\"
AfterquotingtheaccountofthegreatPongo,Buffonjustlyremarks,thatallthe’Jockos’and’Orangs’hithertobroughttoEuropewereyoung;andhesuggeststhat,intheiradultcondition,theymightbeasbigasthePongoor’greatOrang’;sothat,provisionally,heregardedtheJockos,Orangs,andPongosasallofonespecies。Andperhapsthiswasasmuchasthestateofknowledgeatthetimewarranted。ButhowitcameaboutthatBuffonfailedtoperceivethesimilarityofSmith’s’Mandrill’tohisown’Jocko,’andconfoundedtheformerwithsototallydifferentacreatureastheblue-facedBaboon,isnotsoeasilyintelligible。
TwentyyearslaterBuffonchangedhisopinion,*andexpressedhisbeliefthattheOrangsconstitutedagenuswithtwospecies,——alargeone,thePongoofBattell,andasmallone,theJocko:thatthesmallone(Jocko)istheEastIndianOrang;andthattheyounganimalsfromAfrica,observedbyhimselfandTulpius,aresimplyyoungPongos。
[footnote]*’HistoireNaturelle’,Suppl。tome7eme,1789。
Inthemeanwhile,theDutchnaturalist,Vosmaer,gave,in1778,averygoodaccountandfigureofayoungOrang,broughtalivetoHolland,andhiscountryman,thefamousanatomist,PeterCamper,published(1779)anessayontheOrang-UtanofsimilarvaluetothatofTysonontheChimpanzee。Hedissectedseveralfemalesandamale,allofwhich,fromthestateoftheirskeletonandtheirdentition,hejustlysupposestohavebeenyoung。However,judgingbytheanalogyofman,heconcludesthattheycouldnothaveexceededfourfeetinheightintheadultcondition。Furthermore,heisveryclearastothespecificdistinctnessofthetrueEastIndianOrang。
\"TheOrang,\"sayshe,\"differsnotonlyfromthePigmyofTysonandfromtheOrangofTulpiusbyitspeculiarcolouranditslongtoes,butalsobyitswholeexternalform。Itsarms,itshands,anditsfeetarelonger,whilethethumbs,onthecontrary,aremuchshorter,andthegreattoesmuchsmallerinproportion。\"*Andagain,\"ThetrueOrang,thatistosay,thatofAsia,thatofBorneo,isconsequentlynotthePithecus,ortaillessApe,whichtheGreeks,andespeciallyGalen,havedescribed。ItisneitherthePongonortheJocko,northeOrangofTulpius,northePigmyofTyson,——’itisananimalofapeculiarspecies’,asIshallproveintheclearestmannerbytheorgansofvoiceandtheskeletoninthefollowingchapters\"(l。c。p。64)。
[footnote]*Camper,’Oeuvres’,i。p。56。
Afewyearslater,M。Radermacher,whoheldahighofficeintheGovernmentoftheDutchdominionsinIndia,andwasanactivememberoftheBatavianSocietyofArtsandSciences,published,inthesecondpartoftheTransactionsofthatSociety,*aDescriptionoftheIslandofBorneo,whichwaswrittenbetweentheyears1779and1781,and,amongmuchotherinterestingmatter,containssomenotesupontheOrang。ThesmallsortofOrang-Utan,viz。thatofVosmaerandofEdwards,hesays,isfoundonlyinBorneo,andchieflyaboutBanjermassing,Mampauwa,andLandak。OfthesehehadseensomefiftyduringhisresidenceintheIndies;butnoneexceeded21/2feetinlength。Thelargersort,oftenregardedasachimaera,continuesRadermacher,wouldperhapslonghaveremainedso,haditnotbeenfortheexertionsoftheResidentatRembang,M。Palm,who,onreturningfromLandaktowardsPontiana,shotone,andforwardedittoBataviainspirit,fortransmissiontoEurope。
[footnote]*VerhandelingenvanhetBataviaaschGenootschap。
TweedeDeel。DerdeDruk。1826。
Palm’sletterdescribingthecapturerunsthus:——\"HerewithIsendyourExcellency,contrarytoallexpectation(sincelongagoIofferedmorethanahundredducatstothenativesforanOrang-Utanoffourorfivefeethigh)anOrangwhichIheardofthismorningabouteighto’clock。
ForalongtimewedidourbesttotakethefrightfulbeastaliveinthedenseforestabouthalfwaytoLandak。Weforgoteventoeat,soanxiouswerewenottolethimescape;butitwasnecessarytotakecarethathedidnotrevengehimself,ashekeptcontinuallybreakingoffheavypiecesofwoodandgreenbranches,anddashingthematus。
Thisgamelastedtillfouro’clockintheafternoon,whenwedeterminedtoshoothim;inwhichIsucceededverywell,andindeedbetterthanI
evershotfromaboatbefore;forthebulletwentjustintothesideofhischest,sothathewasnotmuchdamaged。Wegothimintotheprowstillliving,andboundhimfast,andnextmorninghediedofhiswounds。AllPontianacameonboardtoseehimwhenwearrived。\"Palmgiveshisheightfromtheheadtotheheelas49inches。
FIG。7。——ThePongoSkull,sentbyRadermachertoCamper,afterCamper’soriginalsketches,asreproducedbyLucae。
AveryintelligentGermanofficer,BaronVonWurmb,whoatthistimeheldapostintheDutchEastIndiaservice,andwasSecretaryoftheBatavianSociety,studiedthisanimal,andhiscarefuldescriptionofit,entitled\"BeschrijvingvanderGrooteBorneoscheOrang-outangofdeOost-IndischePongo,\"iscontainedinthesamevolumeoftheBatavianSociety’sTransactions。AfterVonWurmbhaddrawnuphisdescriptionhestates,inaletterdatedBatavia,Feb。18,1781,*thatthespecimenwassenttoEuropeinbrandytobeplacedinthecollectionofthePrinceofOrange;\"unfortunately,\"hecontinues,\"wehearthattheshiphasbeenwrecked。\"VonWurmbdiedinthecourseoftheyear1781,theletterinwhichthispassageoccursbeingthelasthewrote;butinhisposthumouspapers,publishedinthefourthpartoftheTransactionsoftheBatavianSociety,thereisabriefdescription,withmeasurements,ofafemalePongofourfeethigh。
[footnote]\"BriefedesHerrnv。WurmbunddesH。BaronvonWollzogen。Gotha,1794。\"
Dideitheroftheseoriginalspecimens,onwhichVonWurmb’sdescriptionsarebased,everreachEurope?Itiscommonlysupposedthattheydid;butIdoubtthefact。For,appendedtothememoir’Del’Ourang-outang,’inthecollectededitionofCamper’sworks,tomei。,pp。64-66,isanotebyCamperhimself,referringtoVonWurmb’spapers,andcontinuingthus:——\"Heretofore,thiskindofapehadneverbeenknowninEurope。Radermacherhashadthekindnesstosendmetheskullofoneoftheseanimals,whichmeasuredfifty-threeinches,orfourfeetfiveinches,inheight。IhavesentsomesketchesofittoM。
SoemmeringatMayence,whicharebettercalculated,however,togiveanideaoftheformthanoftherealsizeoftheparts。\"
ThesesketcheshavebeenreproducedbyFischerandbyLucae,andbeardate1783,Soemmeringhavingreceivedthemin1784。HadeitherofVonWurmb’sspecimensreachedHolland,theywouldhardlyhavebeenunknownatthistimetoCamper,who,however,goesontosay——\"Itappearsthatsincethis,somemoreofthesemonstershavebeencaptured,foranentireskeleton,verybadlysetup,whichhadbeensenttotheMuseumofthePrinceofOrange,andwhichIsawonlyonthe27thofJune,1784,wasmorethanfourfeethigh。Iexaminedthisskeletonagainonthe19thDecember,1785,afterithadbeenexcellentlyputtorightsbytheingeniousOnymus。\"
Itappearsevident,then,thatthisskeleton,whichisdoubtlessthatwhichhasalwaysgonebythenameofWurmb’sPongo,isnotthatoftheanimaldescribedbyhim,thoughunquestionablysimilarinallessentialpoints。
Camperproceedstonotesomeofthemostimportantfeaturesofthisskeleton;promisestodescribeitindetailby-and-bye;andisevidentlyindoubtastotherelationofthisgreat’Pongo’tohis\"petitOrang。\"
Thepromisedfurtherinvestigationswerenevercarriedout;andsoithappenedthatthePongoofVonWurmbtookitsplacebythesideoftheChimpanzee,Gibbon,andOrangasafourthandcolossalspeciesofman-likeApe。AndindeednothingcouldlookmuchlessliketheChimpanzeesortheOrangs,thenknown,thanthePongo;forallthespecimensofChimpanzeeandOrangwhichhadbeenobservedweresmallofstature,singularlyhumaninaspect,gentleanddocile;whileWurmb’sPongowasamonsteralmosttwicetheirsize,ofvaststrengthandfierceness,andverybrutalinexpression;itsgreatprojectingmuzzle,armedwithstrongteeth,beingfurtherdisfiguredbytheoutgrowthofthecheeksintofleshylobes。
Eventually,inaccordancewiththeusualmaraudinghabitsoftheRevolutionaryarmies,the’Pongo’skeletonwascarriedawayfromHollandintoFrance,andnoticesofit,expresslyintendedtodemonstrateitsentiredistinctnessfromtheOranganditsaffinitywiththebaboons,weregiven,in1798,byGeoffroySt。HilaireandCuvier。
EveninCuvier’s’TableauElementaire’,andinthefirsteditionofhisgreatwork,the’RegneAnimal’,the’Pongo’isclassedasaspeciesofBaboon。However,soearlyas1818,itappearsthatCuviersawreasontoalterthisopinion,andtoadopttheviewsuggestedseveralyearsbeforebyBlumenbach,*andafterhimbyTilesius,thattheBorneanPongoissimplyanadultOrang。In1824,Rudolphidemonstrated,bytheconditionofthedentition,morefullyandcompletelythanhadbeendonebyhispredecessors,thattheOrangsdescribeduptothattimewereallyounganimals,andthattheskullandteethoftheadultwouldprobablybesuchasthoseseeninthePongoofWurmb。Inthesecondeditionofthe’RegneAnimal’(1829),Cuvierinfers,fromthe’proportionsofalltheparts’and’thearrangementsoftheforaminaandsuturesofthehead,’thatthePongoistheadultoftheOrang-Utan,’atleastofaverycloselyalliedspecies,’andthisconclusionwaseventuallyplacedbeyondalldoubtbyProfessorOwen’sMemoirpublishedinthe’ZoologicalTransactions’for1835,andbyTemminckinhis’MonographiesdeMammalogie’。Temminck’smemoirisremarkableforthecompletenessoftheevidencewhichitaffordsastothemodificationwhichtheformoftheOrangundergoesaccordingtoageandsex。TiedemannfirstpublishedanaccountofthebrainoftheyoungOrang,whileSandifort,MullerandSchlegel,describedthemusclesandthevisceraoftheadult,andgavetheearliestdetailedandtrustworthyhistoryofthehabitsofthegreatIndianApeinastateofnature;andasimportantadditionshavebeenmadebylaterobservers,weareatthismomentbetteracquaintedwiththeadultoftheOrang-Utan,thanwiththatofanyoftheothergreaterman-likeApes。
[footnote]*SeeBlumenbach,’AbbildungenNaturhistorichenGegenstande,No。12,1810;andTilesius,NaturhistoricheFruchtedererstenKaiserlich-RussischenErdumsegelung’,p。
115,1813。
ItiscertainlythePongoofWurmb;*anditisascertainlynotthePongoofBattell,seeingthattheOrang-UtanisentirelyconfinedtothegreatAsiaticislandsofBorneoandSumatra。
[footnote]*Speakingbroadlyandwithoutprejudicetothequestion,whethertherebemorethanonespeciesofOrang。
AndwhiletheprogressofdiscoverythusclearedupthehistoryoftheOrang,italsobecameestablishedthattheonlyotherman-likeApesintheeasternworldwerethevariousspeciesofGibbon——Apesofsmallerstature,andthereforeattractinglessattentionthantheOrangs,thoughtheyarespreadoveramuchwiderrangeofcountry,andarehencemoreaccessibletoobservation。
Althoughthegeographicalareainhabitedbythe’Pongo’andEngecoofBattellissomuchnearertoEuropethanthatinwhichtheOrangandGibbonarefound,ouracquaintancewiththeAfricanApeshasbeenofslowergrowth;indeed,itisonlywithinthelastfewyearsthatthetruthfulstoryoftheoldEnglishadventurerhasbeenrenderedfullyintelligible。Itwasnotuntil1835thattheskeletonoftheadultChimpanzeebecameknown,bythepublicationofProfessorOwen’sabove-mentionedveryexcellentmemoir’OntheosteologyoftheChimpanzeeandOrang’,inthe’ZoologicalTransactions’——amemoirwhich,bytheaccuracyofitsdescriptions,thecarefulnessofitscomparisons,andtheexcellenceofitsfigures,madeanepochinthehistoryofourknowledgeofthebonyframework,notonlyoftheChimpanzee,butofalltheanthropoidApes。
Bytheinvestigationshereindetailed,itbecameevidentthattheoldChimpanzeeacquiredasizeandaspectasdifferentfromthoseoftheyoungknowntoTyson,toBuffon,andtoTraill,asthoseoftheoldOrangfromtheyoungOrang;andthesubsequentveryimportantresearchesofMessrs。SavageandWyman,theAmericanmissionaryandanatomist,havenotonlyconfirmedthisconclusion,buthaveaddedmanynewdetails。*
[footnote]*See\"ObservationsontheexternalcharactersandhabitsoftheTroglodytesniger,byThomasN。Savage,M。D。,andonitsorganizationbyJeffriesWyman,M。D。,\"’BostonJournalofNaturalHistory’,vol。iv。,1843-4;and\"Externalcharacters,habits,andosteologyofTroglodytesGorilla,\"bythesameauthors,’ibid’。,vol。v。,1847。
OneofthemostinterestingamongthemanyvaluablediscoveriesmadebyDr。ThomasSavageisthefact,thatthenativesintheGabooncountryatthepresentday,applytotheChimpanzeeaname——\"Enche-eko\"——whichisobviouslyidenticalwiththe\"Engeko\"ofBattell;adiscoverywhichhasbeenconfirmedbyalllaterinquirers。Battell’s\"lessermonster\"
beingthusprovedtobeaveritableexistence,ofcourseastrongpresumptionarosethathis\"greatermonster,\"the’Pongo,’wouldsoonerorlaterbediscovered。And,indeed,amoderntraveller,Bowdich,had,in1819,foundstrongevidence,amongthenatives,oftheexistenceofasecondgreatApe,calledthe’Ingena,’\"fivefeethigh,andfouracrosstheshoulders,\"thebuilderofarudehouse,ontheoutsideofwhichitslept。
In1847,Dr。Savagehadthegoodfortunetomakeanotherandmostimportantadditiontoourknowledgeoftheman-likeApes;for,beingunexpectedlydetainedattheGaboonriver,hesawinthehouseoftheRev。Mr。Wilson,amissionaryresidentthere,\"askullrepresentedbythenativestobeamonkey-likeanimal,remarkableforitssize,ferocity,andhabits。\"Fromthecontouroftheskull,andtheinformationderivedfromseveralintelligentnatives,\"Iwasinduced,\"
saysDr。Savage(usingthetermOranginitsoldgeneralsense)\"tobelievethatitbelongedtoanewspeciesofOrang。IexpressedthisopiniontoMr。Wilson,withadesireforfurtherinvestigation;and,ifpossible,todecidethepointbytheinspectionofaspecimenaliveordead。\"TheresultofthecombinedexertionsofMessrs。SavageandWilsonwasnotonlytheobtainingofaveryfullaccountofthehabitsofthisnewcreature,butastillmoreimportantservicetoscience,theenablingtheexcellentAmericananatomistalreadymentioned,ProfessorWyman,todescribe,fromamplematerials,thedistinctiveosteologicalcharactersofthenewform。ThisanimalwascalledbythenativesoftheGaboon\"Enge-ena,\"anameobviouslyidenticalwiththe\"Ingena\"ofBowdich;andDr。SavagearrivedattheconvictionthatthislastdiscoveredofallthegreatApeswasthelong-sought\"Pongo\"ofBattell。
Thejusticeofthisconclusion,indeed,isbeyonddoubt——fornotonlydoesthe’Enge-ena’agreewithBattell’s\"greatermonster\"initsholloweyes,itsgreatstature,anditsdunoriron-greycolour,buttheonlyotherman-likeApewhichinhabitstheselatitudes——theChimpanzee——isatonceidentified,byitssmallersize,asthe\"lessermonster,\"andisexcludedfromanypossibilityofbeingthe’Pongo,’bythefactthatitisblackandnotdun,tosaynothingoftheimportantcircumstancealreadymentionedthatitstillretainsthenameof’Engeko,’or\"Enche-eko,\"bywhichBattellknewit。
Inseekingforaspecificnameforthe\"Enge-ena,\"however,Dr。Savagewiselyavoidedthemuchmisused’Pongo’;butfindingintheancientPeriplusofHannotheword\"Gorilla\"appliedtocertainhairysavagepeople,discoveredbytheCarthaginianvoyagerinanislandontheAfricancoast,heattachedthespecificname\"Gorilla\"tohisnewape,whencearisesitspresentwell-knownappellation。ButDr。Savage,morecautiousthansomeofhissuccessors,bynomeansidentifieshisapewithHanno’s\"wildmen。\"Hemerelysaysthatthelatterwere\"probablyoneofthespeciesoftheOrang;\"andIquiteagreewithM。Brulle,thatthereisnogroundforidentifyingthemodern’Gorilla’withthatoftheCarthaginianadmiral。
SincethememoirofSavageandWymanwaspublished,theskeletonoftheGorillahasbeeninvestigatedbyProfessorOwenandbythelateProfessorDuvernoy,oftheJardindesPlantes,thelatterhavingfurthersuppliedavaluableaccountofthemuscularsystemandofmanyoftheothersoftparts;whileAfricanmissionariesandtravellershaveconfirmedandexpandedtheaccountoriginallygivenofthehabitsofthisgreatman-likeApe,whichhashadthesingularfortuneofbeingthefirsttobemadeknowntothegeneralworldandthelasttobescientificallyinvestigated。
TwocenturiesandahalfhavepassedawaysinceBattelltoldhisstoriesaboutthe’greater’andthe’lessermonsters’toPurchas,andithastakennearlythattimetoarriveattheclearresultthattherearefourdistinctkindsofAnthropoids——inEasternAsia,theGibbonsandtheOrangs;inWesternAfrica,theChimpanzeesandtheGorilla。
Theman-likeApes,thehistoryofwhosediscoveryhasjustbeendetailed,havecertaincharactersofstructureandofdistributionincommon。Thustheyallhavethesamenumberofteethasman——possessingfourincisors,twocanines,fourfalsemolars,andsixtruemolarsineachjaw,or32teethinall,intheadultcondition;whilethemilkdentitionconsistsof20teeth——orfourincisors,twocanines,andfourmolarsineachjaw。TheyarewhatarecalledcatarrhineApes——thatis,theirnostrilshaveanarrowpartitionandlookdownwards;and,furthermore,theirarmsarealwayslongerthantheirlegs,thedifferencebeingsometimesgreaterandsometimesless;sothatifthefourwerearrangedintheorderofthelengthoftheirarmsinproportiontothatoftheirlegs,weshouldhavethisseries——Orang(1
4/9:1),Gibbon(11/4:1),Gorilla(11/5:1),Chimpanzee(11/16:1)。Inall,theforelimbsareterminatedbyhands,providedwithlongerorshorterthumbs;whilethegreattoeofthefoot,alwayssmallerthaninMan,isfarmoremovablethaninhimandcanbeopposed,likeathumb,totherestofthefoot。Noneoftheseapeshavetails,andnoneofthempossessthecheekpouchescommonamongmonkeys。Finally,theyareallinhabitantsoftheoldworld。
TheGibbonsarethesmallest,slenderest,andlongest-limbedoftheman-likeapes:theirarmsarelongerinproportiontotheirbodiesthanthoseofanyoftheotherman-likeApes,sothattheycantouchthegroundwhenerect;theirhandsarelongerthantheirfeet,andtheyaretheonlyAnthropoidswhichpossesscallositieslikethelowermonkeys。
Theyarevariouslycoloured。TheOrangshavearmswhichreachtotheanklesintheerectpositionoftheanimal;theirthumbsandgreattoesareveryshort,andtheirfeetarelongerthantheirhands。Theyarecoveredwithreddishbrownhair,andthesidesoftheface,inadultmales,arecommonlyproducedintotwocrescentic,flexibleexcrescences,likefattytumours。TheChimpanzeeshavearmswhichreachbelowtheknees;theyhavelargethumbsandgreattoes,theirhandsarelongerthantheirfeet;andtheirhairisblack,whiletheskinofthefaceispale。TheGorilla,lastly,hasarmswhichreachtothemiddleoftheleg,largethumbsandgreattoes,feetlongerthanthehands,ablackface,anddark-greyordunhair。
ForthepurposewhichIhaveatpresentinview,itisunnecessarythatIshouldenterintoanyfurtherminutiaerespectingthedistinctivecharactersofthegeneraandspeciesintowhichtheseman-likeApesaredividedbynaturalists。Sufficeittosay,thattheOrangsandtheGibbonsconstitutethedistinctgenera,’Simia’and’Hylobates’;whiletheChimpanzeesandGorillasarebysomeregardedsimplyasdistinctspeciesofonegenus,’Troglodytes’;byothersasdistinctgenera——’Troglodytes’beingreservedfortheChimpanzees,and’Gorilla’
fortheEnge-enaorPongo。
Soundknowledgerespectingthehabitsandmodeoflifeoftheman-likeApeshasbeenevenmoredifficultofattainmentthancorrectinformationregardingtheirstructure。
Onceinageneration,aWallacemaybefoundphysically,mentally,andmorallyqualifiedtowanderunscathedthroughthetropicalwildsofAmericaandofAsia;toformmagnificentcollectionsashewanders;andwithaltothinkoutsagaciouslytheconclusionssuggestedbyhiscollections:but,totheordinaryexplorerorcollector,thedenseforestsofequatorialAsiaandAfrica,whichconstitutethefavouritehabitationoftheOrang,theChimpanzee,andtheGorilla,presentdifficultiesofnoordinarymagnitude:andthemanwhoriskshislifebyevenashortvisittothemalariousshoresofthoseregionsmaywellbeexcusedifheshrinksfromfacingthedangersoftheinterior;ifhecontentshimselfwithstimulatingtheindustryofthebetterseasonednatives,andcollectingandcollatingthemoreorlessmythicalreportsandtraditionswithwhichtheyaretooreadytosupplyhim。
Insuchamannermostoftheearlieraccountsofthehabitsoftheman-likeApesoriginated;andevennowagooddealofwhatpassescurrentmustbeadmittedtohavenoverysafefoundation。Thebestinformationwepossessisthat,basedalmostwhollyondirectEuropeantestimonyrespectingtheGibbons;thenextbestevidencerelatestotheOrangs;whileourknowledgeofthehabitsoftheChimpanzeeandtheGorillastandsmuchinneedofsupportandenlargementbyadditionaltestimonyfrominstructedEuropeaneye-witnesses。
Itwillthereforebeconvenientinendeavouringtoformanotionofwhatwearejustifiedinbelievingabouttheseanimals,tocommencewiththebestknownman-likeApes,theGibbonsandOrangs;andtomakeuseoftheperfectlyreliableinformationrespectingthemasasortofcriterionoftheprobabletruthorfalsehoodofassertionsrespectingtheothers。
OftheGIBBONS,halfadozenspeciesarefoundscatteredovertheAsiaticislands,Java,Sumatra,Borneo,andthroughMalacca,Siam,Arracan,andanuncertainextentofHindostan,onthemainlandofAsia。Thelargestattainafewinchesabovethreefeetinheight,fromthecrowntotheheel,sothattheyareshorterthantheotherman-likeApes;whiletheslendernessoftheirbodiesrenderstheirmassfarsmallerinproportioneventothisdiminishedheight。
Dr。SalomonMuller,anaccomplishedDutchnaturalist,wholivedformanyyearsintheEasternArchipelago,andtotheresultsofwhosepersonalexperienceIshallfrequentlyhaveoccasiontorefer,statesthattheGibbonsaretruemountaineers,lovingtheslopesandedgesofthehills,thoughtheyrarelyascendbeyondthelimitofthefig-trees。Alldaylongtheyhauntthetopsofthetalltrees;andthough,towardsevening,theydescendinsmalltroopstotheopenground,nosoonerdotheyspyamanthantheydartupthehill-sides,anddisappearinthedarkervalleys。
Allobserverstestifytotheprodigiousvolumeofvoicepossessedbytheseanimals。AccordingtothewriterwhomIhavejustcited,inoneofthem,theSiamang,\"thevoiceisgraveandpenetrating,resemblingthesoundsgoek,goek,goek,goek,goekhahahahahaaaaa,andmayeasilybeheardatadistanceofhalfaleague。\"Whilethecryisbeinguttered,thegreatmembranousbagunderthethroatwhichcommunicateswiththeorganofvoice,theso-called\"laryngealsac,\"becomesgreatlydistended,diminishingagainwhenthecreaturerelapsesintosilence。
M。Duvaucel,likewise,affirmsthatthecryoftheSiamangmaybeheardformiles——makingthewoodsringagain。SoMr。Martin*describesthecryoftheagileGibbonas\"overpoweringanddeafening\"inaroom,and\"fromitsstrength,wellcalculatedforresoundingthroughthevastforests。\"Mr。Waterhouse,anaccomplishedmusicianaswellaszoologist,says,\"TheGibbon’svoiceiscertainlymuchmorepowerfulthanthatofanysingerIhaveeverheard。\"Andyetitistoberecollectedthatthisanimalisnothalftheheightof,andfarlessbulkyinproportionthan,aman。
[footnote]*’ManandMonkies’,p。423。
ThereisgoodtestimonythatvariousspeciesofGibbonreadilytaketotheerectposture。Mr。GeorgeBennett,*averyexcellentobserver,indescribingthehabitsofamale’Hylobatessyndactylus’whichremainedforsometimeinhispossession,says:\"Heinvariablywalksintheerectposturewhenonalevelsurface;andthenthearmseitherhangdown,enablinghimtoassisthimselfwithhisknuckles;orwhatismoreusual,hekeepshisarmsupliftedinnearlyanerectposition,withthehandspendentreadytoseizearope,andclimbupontheapproachofdangerorontheobtrusionofstrangers。Hewalksratherquickintheerectposture,butwithawaddlinggait,andissoonrundownif,whilstpursued,hehasnoopportunityofescapingbyclimbing……Whenhewalksintheerectpostureheturnsthelegandfootoutwards,whichoccasionshimtohaveawaddlinggaitandtoseembow-legged。\"