ON THE MONKIES KNOWN TO THE CHINESE. 589 



aries relative to this animal ; and as this work forms an inte- 

 gral part of every Chinese library, it will be unnecessary to 

 quote the original text, since it is readily accessible to sino- 

 logists in general. Sing, (after the usual preliminaries as to 

 pronimciation), " The Yupeen 1 observes that the Sing are like 

 dogs with a human face ; the Kwangyun that they are like 

 an ape ; the Urh ya shih show that they are small, and ad- 

 dicted to weeping ; the Shan hae king, that it has a man's 

 face, a swine's body, can converse, and is found in the Fung 

 ke heen of Keaoule (Cochin China) ; also that its external 

 appearance is like a Hwan, z and that its cry resembles a pig's 

 squeak, or a child's weeping ; the Leo ke-le, that the Singsing 

 can speak, but is nevertheless a beast." Nearly similar sto- 

 ries are given of the Sang. 



The term " swine's body" does not ill apply to the compa- 

 rative nakedness of the oran-otan's, when considered in rela- 

 tion with the other apes, as a reference to any specimen will 

 fairly prove. The conversational powers of this animal is a 

 fiction purely Chinese, from its mournful chattering note. — 

 But the most interesting account of it is in the Ching tsze 

 tung Dictionary ; where, after narrating at some length the 

 manner of catching them, by means of wine and wooden 

 shoes, the following opinions of ancient works are quoted on 

 the subject. "The Sho wan says that the Sing-sing make a 

 hasty noise, like a dog's bark, and nothing more. Toopo, 

 in the account of the southern hills, gives a plate repre- 

 senting a Sang-sang like a monkey. In the description of the 

 interior southern rivers, it is stated, there are plates repre- 

 senting the Sang-sang like a dog, also a Sing-sing whose ex- 

 ternal appearance resembles a monkey. It can speak, and 

 each part has three feet. The original representation is like 

 an ape, it runs erect, but walks prone to the earth, like a dog. 

 It is said to be naturally addicted to wine, and fond of light- 

 ing a fire. It can speak, that is to say, it can emit a sound 

 like a child, and it knows how to keep up a conversation. — 

 There are two sorts of Sing-sing and Sang-sang, the great and 

 small ; and without doubt they can speak as a dog does to a 

 dog, by assuming a kind of angry note. However, Too and 

 the plates are 'at spear and shield' (contradict each other) ; 

 if they are in the shape of a dog they cannot speak like a man. 

 In the Shan hae king in the account of the interior southern 



1 ' Gems Arranged,' a Dictionary mentioned in Dr. Morrison's preface, 

 as well as the Kwang yim. The Urh ya, a quarto-sized work, is pictorial 

 like the San tsae &c. 



2 This animal is sometimes said to be like a wild swine, at others like a 

 wild dog. 



