THE CHACMA. 



amount of plunder has been secured, the invading party quietly make their retreat, 

 and revel in security on their ill-gotten goods. 



Although on sendee for the general weal, each individual baboon is not unmind- 

 ful of his personal interest ; and while he hands the booty to his next neighbour, 

 deftly slips a portion into his mouth, much on the same principle that an 

 accomplished epiciu'e, while busily caning for the assembled guests, never loses 

 sight of his own particular predilection, and when he has exhausted the contents 

 of the dish, quietly assumes the portion which he had laid aside. 



When young, the Chacma is docile enough, and by its curious tricks affords 

 much amusement to its master and those around it. Not only for amusement, 

 however, is this animal detained in captivity, but its delicate natiu-al instincts are 

 sometimes enlisted in the service of its master. It displays great ability in 

 discovering the various roots and tubers on which it feeds, and which can also 

 be used as food for man ; and in digging, like Caliban, with his long nails, pignuts. 



A more important senice is often rendered by this animal than even the 

 prociu-ation of food ; and that is, the hunting for, and almost unfailing discovery 

 of, water. 



One of these animals, personally known to Captain Drayson, was a great 

 practical jester, and was fond of terrifying the Kaffir women by rushing at them 

 open mouthed, catching them by their ancles, and mowing at them with 

 extravagant grimaces, as if he meant to eat them up bodily. Sometimes a dog 

 would be set at him while thus employed, and change the aspect of affairs in a 

 moment. The pursuer then became the pursued, and quitting his prey, made for 

 the nearest tree, up which he scuttled, and settled himself among the branches, 

 just so high as to be out of reach of the dog's jaws, and just so low as to give 

 hopes of success by a higher than ordinary leap. There he would sit as if there 

 was no such being in the world as a dog, and giving himself up to the contempla- 

 tion of the surrounding scenery, or the aspect of the sky, would leisurely pursue 

 his train of thought until the dog was tn-ed and went away. 



His keenness of sight was remarkable, his eyes possessing powers of distant 

 vision that rivalled the telescope. 



In order to prove the powers of the creatiu'e's sight, his master made several 

 experiments, by going to so great a distance that the baboon when perched on its 

 j)ole was barely perceptible to the naked eye, and from thence producing sundry 

 distortions of countenance, and strange attitudes of body. By looking through a 

 telescope, he was able to see that the animal was not only capable of discerning 

 and imitating his gestures, but even the veiy changes of countenance ; so that a 

 grimace on the part of the gallant OA\Tier was immediately reproduced, or rather, 

 represented by a grin on the part of the baboon 



22 



