At Java, this Monkey lived under a tamarind tree, near the Doctor’s dwelling. There it had made a bed, composed of small interlaced branches covered with leaves; on this it passed the greater portion of the time, looking out for the people who carried fruit, and, when they approached, descending to obtain a share.
When taken on board the vessel, it was secured by an iron chain to a ring-bolt; but it unfastened itself and ran away, when, finding the chain trailing behind, an encumbrance, it threw it over its shoulder. As it released itself in this manner several times, it was decided to allow it to go at large. It became very familiar with the sailors; it played with them, and knew how to escape when pursued, for it darted into inaccessible parts of the rigging.
“At first,” writes Doctor Abel Clark, “it usually slept on one of the upper yards, after enveloping itself in a sail. In making its bed it took the greatest care to remove everything that might disturb the smooth surface of the place on which it intended to lie. After satisfying its tastes in this part of its domestic arrangements, it lay down on its back, bringing the sail over the surface of its body. Frequently to torment it, I have beforehand taken possession of its bed. In such a case it would endeavor to pull the sail from beneath me, or try to expel me from its resting-place, and would not rest until it had succeeded. If the bed proved to be large enough for two, it slept quietly beside me. When all the sails were unfurled, it searched for some other couch, often stealing the sailors’ jackets which were hung out to dry, or robbing some hammock of bed-clothes.
“It willingly ate all kinds of meat, especially raw flesh. It was very fond of bread, but always preferred fruit when procurable. Its ordinary beverage at Java was water, but on board its drink was as varied as its food. Above everything it liked coffee and tea, but it also willingly took wine.
“One of the sailors was its special friend, and this man shared his meals with it. I must say, however, that the Orang-Outang sometimes stole from its benefactor. He taught it to eat with a spoon; and it might have been seen more than once, tasting its protector’s coffee, and affecting a serious air, a perfect caricature of human nature.”
THE CHIMPANZEE—THE MAN-LIKE APE.
CHIMPANZEE.
Of all known Monkeys, the Chimpanzee in its habits, its motions and its intelligence, comes nearest to the human species. In the first place its arms are not so long as those of the other Monkeys described; they scarcely reach below the knee when the Chimpanzee is standing erect. And although it seldom wears a beard like the “Wild Man of the Woods,” its face and ears and the palms of its hands are entirely without hair, giving it a much more Human appearance; and in walking, its “hind-hands” are often planted quite firmly on the ground like our feet, instead of walking on the sides of them. When walking erect, it is fond of using a large stick to help support it, and this gives it a manly appearance of carrying a cane. Another favorite manner of walking is to bend down and touch its fingers to the ground, then by keeping the legs bent, it swings itself along by the means of its arms as by a pair of crutches.
The Chimpanzee inhabits the same regions as the Gorilla—the dense forests of Africa, and another point of resemblance is that the Chimpanzees live in small troops while they are young, and alone or in couples in adult life. But unlike the Gorillas they are great climbers and pass nearly all their time on trees, seeking the fruits which constitute their food.