The next day, however, having made up her mind that the poor creature must be dead, and his sufferings ended, and having given Tiney many admonitions to keep out of the road when carriages were passing, her thoughts turned once more to the baboon.
Mr. Lee found in his library a book which gave a short account of the animal, which he read to her.
“The baboon is of the monkey tribe, notwithstanding its long, dog-like head, flat, compressed cheeks, and strong and projecting teeth. The form and position of the eyes, combined with the similarity of the arms and hands, give to these creatures a resemblance to humanity as striking as it is disgusting.”
“Then follows an account,” the gentleman went on, “of the peculiarities of different kinds of baboons, which you would not understand.”
“But can’t you tell me something about them yourself, father?”
“I know very little about the creatures, my dear; but I have read that they are exceedingly strong, and of a fiery, vicious temper.
“They can never be wholly tamed, and it is only while restraint of the severest kind is used, that they can be governed at all. If left to their own will, their savage nature resumes its sway, and their actions are cruel, destructive, and disgusting.”
“I saw the man at the menagerie giving them apples,” said Minnie; “but he did not give them any meat all the time I was there.”
“No; they subsist exclusively on fruits, seeds, and other vegetable matter. In the countries where they live, especially near the Cape of Good Hope, the inhabitants chase them with dogs and guns in order to destroy them, on account of the ravages they commit in the fields and gardens. It is said that they make a very obstinate resistance to the dogs, and often have fierce battles with them; but they greatly fear the gun.
“As the baboon grows older, instead of becoming better, his rage increases, so that the slightest cause will provoke him to terrible fury.”