Mr Grant's account of' an Orang -Outang from Borneo. 9 



his teeth, he is very apt to put in a finger to enlarge the rent, 

 seemingly very well pleased with his own feat. 



Although submissive and tractable to man, generally speak- 

 ing, he does not seem afraid of animals. A dancing bear hav- 

 ing been brought into Mr Swinton's Compound, formed an ex- 

 ception to this self-possession ; for on the animal being made 

 to cry out and dance on his hind-legs by his keeper, the poor 

 orang appeared considerably startled, and instinctively retreat- 

 ed some paces.* Two monkeys belonging to the same person 

 were next introduced to him. At first he appeared to take no 

 notice of them, but sat unconcernedly near a short upright stake 

 stuck in the ground. The monkeys at first appeared somewhat 

 afraid of him, but he looked at them with seeming indifference. 

 At length he took hold of the string by which the monkeys were 

 leashed together and tied to the post, and began pulling them 

 towards himself with one hand, while with the other arm he 

 grasped the stake mentioned above as a kind of point oVappui. 

 While holding them thus he appeared to survey them with 

 much attention and gravity. He was several times interrupt- 

 ed, however, in his contemplations by his frolicsome friends, 

 who, having got over their first apprehensions, began to get 

 bolder and more familiar, venturing so far as to give him an 

 occasional slap on the head, and even to tumble him over. 

 This our orang bore with the best temper in the world ; but 

 to prevent their pranks as much as he could, took good care 

 to keep the stake between himself and them. A little stick 

 being given him, he held it menacingly towards his monkey 

 visitors, still keeping hold of the string to which they were fas- 

 tened, and making a show as if he would beat them. The 

 monkeys appeared to be kept in good order by the appearance 

 of the ferule ; and it was highly amusing to see them crouch- 

 ing and grinning at our Homo sylvestris, who stood up gravely 



* The animal while at Singapore had a young individual of the small 

 ash-coloured Sumatran baboons as a playmate, with which he amused him- 

 self by catching and throwing it down, pretending to bite it, but never ap- 

 peared to hurt it in the least. His active companion retaliated in the same 

 way, but would after a little break loose from him, and bound away to 

 the length of his chain, soon returning, however, to renew the sport. 

 They appeared to be remarkably good friends, and never seemed to have 

 any quarrel even at meal times. — Note by Mr M. 



