162 Zoological Collections. 



Art. XXXV.— zoological COLLECTIONS. 



L Account of the Capture of a Female Orang Outang, caught on the coast of 

 Sumatra. By Captain Hull. * 



Having heard of the capture of the large Orang Outang, which was de- 

 scribed in this Journal, Number viii. p. 193, Captain Hull dispatched a 

 young man to the spot where it was taken, in the hope of his meeting 

 with another Orang of the same kind. After a lapse of several months 

 he returned to Bencoolen, bringing with hira a large female orang, as the 

 fruit of his enterprise. 



On his arrival at Truman, where he was kindly received, he heard va- 

 rious accounts from the natives of the animal he was in search of, called 

 by them Orang Mawah, Mawi or Mawy. These animals, they said, resid- 

 ed in the deepest part of a forest, distant from Truman about five or six days 

 journey, and they appeared very averse to undertake any expedition in search 

 of them, stating, that these beings would assuredly attack any small party, 

 especially if a woman should be with them, whom they would endeavour 

 to carry off. They were unwilling also to destroy these animals from a 

 superstitious belief that they are animated by the souls of their ancestors, 

 and that they hold dominion over the great forests of Sumatra. After some 

 days debate, however, and hearing that a Mawah had been seen in the 

 forest, the young man collected a party of twenty persons, armed with 

 muskets, spears, and bamboos, and having marched in an easterly direc- 

 tion for above thirty miles, fell in with the object of his search. The orang 

 was sitting on the summit of one of the highest trees with a young one in 

 its arms. The first fire of the party struck off the great toe of the old 

 orang, who uttered a hideous cry, and immediately lifted up her young 

 one as high as her long arms would reach, and let it go amongst the top- 

 most branches, which ' appeared too weak to sustain herself. During the 

 time the party were cautiously approaching her to obtain another shot, the 

 poor animal made no attempt to escape, but kept a steady watch on their 

 movements, uttering at the time many singular sounds, and glancing her 

 eye occasionally towards her young one, seemed to hasten its escape by wav- 

 ing her hand. The second volley brought her to the ground, a ball having 

 penetrated her breast, but the young one escaped. She measured four 

 feet eleven inches in length, and two feet across the shoulders, and was 

 covered with red hair. — It is probable from the spot where this animal 

 was found being so near to Truman, that she was the mate of the one de- 

 stroyed by the party from the brig. Her remains, consisting of the skin 

 and all the bones, were transmitted home by Captain Hull to Sir Stamford 

 Raffles. 



r : I 



a. On the use of the Odoriferous Gland of the Alligator as a Bait. By 

 Thomas Bell, Esq. F. L. S. &c. 

 The following is a brief notice of Mr Bell's curious speculations on 



• This and § 3, C, 7? are extracts of memoirs read at the Asiatic Society of 

 Calcutta. They are from the Calcutta Qovernment Gazette or Journal^ conducted with 

 great ability. 



