28 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



and would readily come to those to whom he was 

 attached when called by that name. His temper was 

 mild, and not readily irritated ; his mildness of dis- 

 position and playfulness of manner made him a 

 universal favourite with all on board. 



When he walks in the erect posture, he turns the 

 leg and foot outwards, which occasions him to have 

 a waddling gait and a bow-legged appearance. He 

 would walk the deck, being held by his long arm, and 

 then had a resemblance to a child just learning to 

 walk. He has an awkward manner of drinking, by 

 which the liquid is much wasted : he first applies his 

 lips to the liquid, 

 throwing the head 

 up, which may in 

 some degree be attri- 

 buted to the promi- 

 nency of the lower 

 jaw ; and if the vessel 

 in which the liquid is 

 contained should be 

 shallow, he dips the 

 paw into it, holds it 

 over the mouth, let- 

 ting the liquid drop 

 in. I never observed 

 him lap with the 

 tongue when drink- 

 ing ; but when tea 

 or coffee was given 

 to him, the lingual 

 organ was carefully 

 protruded for the pur- 

 pose of ascertaining 

 its temperature. He 

 usually (on first com- 

 ing on board), after 

 taking exercise about 

 the rigging, retired to 

 rest at sunset, in the 

 maintop, coming on 

 deck at daylight. 

 This continued until 

 our arrival off the 

 Cape, when, expe- 

 riencing a lower tem- 

 perature, he expressed an eager desire to be taken in 

 my arms, and indulged by being permitted to pass 

 the night in my cabin, for which he evinced such a 

 decided partiality, that on the return of warm weather 

 he would not retire to the maintop, but was always 

 eager to pass the night in the cabin. 



He was playful, but preferred children to adults ; 

 he became particularly attached to a little Papuan 

 child who was on board, and who, it is not impro- 

 bable, he] may [have in some degree considered as 

 having an affinity to his species. They were often 

 seen sitting near the capstan, the animal with his long 

 paw around her neck, lovingly eating biscuit together. 



Fig. 27. — The Ungka Ape {Simia synddctyld) at home. 



She would lead him about by his long arms ; and it 

 was very amusing to see him running round the cap- 

 stan pursued by or pursuing the child ; he would 

 waddle along at a rapid pace, sometimes aiding him- 

 self by his knuckles ; but, when fatigued, would spring 

 aside, seize a rope, and ascend a short distance, safe 

 from pursuit. In a playful manner he would roll on 

 deck with the child, displaying a mock combat, 

 pushing with his feet (in which action he seems to 

 possess great muscular power), entwining his arms 

 around her, and pretending to bite ; or, seizing a 

 rope, he would swing towards her, and, when efforts 



were made to seize 

 him, would elude the 

 grasp by swinging 

 away; or he would 

 drop suddenly on her 

 from the ropes aloft, 

 and then engage in 

 various playful antics. 

 He would play in a 

 similar manner with 

 adults, but always 

 seemed to have a pre- 

 ference for children. 

 If an attempt was, 

 however, made by the 

 child to play with him 

 when he had no in- 

 clination, or after he 

 had sustained some 

 disappointment, he 

 usually made a slight 

 impression with his 

 teeth on her arm, just 

 sufficient to act as a 

 warning that no liber- 

 ties were to be taken 

 with his person ; or 

 as the child would 

 say, " Ungka no like 

 play now." Not un- 

 frequently, a string 

 being tied to his leg, 

 the child would amuse 

 herself by dragging 

 the patient animal about the deck ; tired, however, 

 of such practical jokes, without having himself any 

 share in the fun, he endeavoured to disengage him- 

 self and retire ; on finding his efforts fruitless, he 

 would quietly walk up to the child, make an im- 

 pression with his teeth on one of the members that 

 were the nearest, soon terminate the sport, and procure 

 his liberty. 



There were also on board the ship several small 

 monkeys, with whom Ungka was desirous of forming 

 interesting "conversaziones," to introduce a social 

 character among them, to while away the tedious 

 hours, and to dissipate the monotony of the voyage ; 



