i THE ORANG-OUTANG. 23 



been for the exertions of the Resident at Rembang, 

 M. Palm, who, on returning from Landak towards 

 Pontiana, shot one, and forwarded it to Batavia in 

 spirit, for transmission to Europe. 



Palm's letter describing the capture runs thus: 

 — " Herewith I send your Excellency, contrary 

 to all expectation (since long ago I offered more 

 than a hundred ducats to the natives for an Orang- 

 utan of four or five feet high) an Orang which I 

 heard of this morning about eight o'clock. For a 

 long time we did our best to take the frightful 

 beast alive in the dense forest about half way to 

 Landak. We forgot even to eat, so anxious were 

 we not to let him escape; but it was necessary to 

 take care that he did not revenge himself, as he 

 kept continually breaking off heavy pieces of wood 

 and green branches, and dashing them at us. This 

 game lasted till four o'clock in the afternoon, when 

 we determined to shoot him; in which I succeeded 

 very well, and indeed better than I ever shot from a 

 boat before; for the bullet went just into the side 

 of his chest, so that he was not much damaged. We 

 got him into the prow still living, and bound him 

 fast, and next morning he died of his wounds. All 

 Pantiana came on board to see him when we ar- 

 rived." Palm gives his height from the head to 

 the heel as 49 inches. 



A very intelligent German officer, Baron Von 

 AYurmb, who at this time held a post in the Dutch 

 East India service, and was Secretary of the Bata- 



