6 THE MAN-LIKE APES. i 



rieth his hands clasped in the nape of his neeke when he 

 goeth upon the ground. They sleepe in the trees, and 

 build shelters for the raine. They feed upon fruit that 

 they find in the woods, and upon nuts, for they eate no 

 kind of flesh. They cannot speake, and have no under- 

 standing more than a beast. The people of the count rie, 

 when they travaile in the woods make fires where they 

 sleepe in the night; and in the morning, when they are 

 gone, the Pongoes will come and sit about the fire till it 

 goeth out; for they have no understanding to lay the 

 wood together. They goe many together and kill many 

 negroes that travaile in the woods. Many times they fall 

 upon the elephants which come to feed where they be, 

 and so beate them with their clubbed fists, and pieces of 

 wood, that they will runne roaring away from them. 

 Those Pongoes are never taken alive because they are so 

 strong, that ten men cannot hold one of them; but yet 

 they take many of their young ones with poisoned ar- 

 rowes. 



" The young Pongo hangeth on his mother's belly with 

 his hands fast clasped about her, so that when the eoun- 

 trie people kill any of the females they take the young 

 one, which hangeth fast upon his mother. 



" When they die among themselves, they cover the 

 dead with great heaps of boughs and wood, which is com- 

 monly found in the forest." * 



* Purchas' marginal note, p. 982: — "The Pongo is a 

 giant ape. He told me in conference with him. that one 

 of these Pongoes tooke a negro bov of his which lived a 

 moneth with them. For they hurt not those which they 

 surprise at unawares, except they look on them : which 

 he avoyded. He said their highth was like a man's but 

 their bignesse twice as great. I saw the negro boy. What 

 the other monster should be he hath forgotten to relate; 

 and these papers came to my hand since his death, which, 

 otherwise, in my often conferences, 1 might have Learned. 

 Perhaps lie meaneth the Pigmy Pongo killers mentioned." 



