THE CHACMA. 69 
“The baboon is perfectly aware of the dangerous character of the snake, and when 
he approaches a clump of bushes for the purpose of feasting upon the young shoots 
or ripe berries, he invariably peeps suspiciously amongst the underwood in search of his 
dreaded foe. 
“Tn consequence of Jacob’s detestation of the serpent race, a cruel trick was frequently 
played upon him, but which was one that gave great amusement. This was to frighten 
him with a dead snake. 
“Serpents of every description were here very common ; and sometimes when one had 
been killed, it was laid across a stick and taken towards Jacob. The instant his perse- 
cutor came in sight, the snake was sure to be seen; Jacob would then wrap himself wp in 
his blanket and turn over an old box, under which he would hide. This retreat soon 
failed him, as there was a small knot-hole in the box, through which the tail of the 
snake was insinuated. 
“Finding that this artifice had failed, he would upset the box, and spring away; a 
little dodging would then take place, and Jacob would be hemmed in so that the snake 
was brought ‘close to him. Then, indeed, things required a desperate remedy, and with 
great presence of mind, he would seize the tail—invaviably the tail—of the snake, and 
would fling the reptile to a distance. He would then at once rush towards his persecutor, 
and sit down beside him, as though to intimate that he wished to be friends. 
“There was only one method from which there was no escape ; this was to tie the 
snake loosely around the upper part of Jacob’s chain, and then hold it so that a little 
shaking caused the reptile to shde towards hin. 
« After several j jumps and grimaces, he would appear to be convinced that escape was 
useless, and would then resign himself complacently to his fate. 
“ Lying down on his side as though perfectly prepared for the worst, he would remain 
as though dead. But as soon as the snake was taken away, the mercurial temperament 
of the creature instantly showed itself; for he would then jump on the shoulders of any 
person who might happen to be near, and would play off some practical joke as a 
retaliation. 
“ Although evidently alarmed whenever snakes were brought near him, he still 
appeared perfectly to understand that nothing more than a joke was intended. 
“ His treatment of small dogs was very quaint. 
“Tf by chance a young pup came near him, he would seize hold of it and cuddle it in 
his arms in a most affectionate and maternal way ; not being very particular, however, 
whether he held the animal by the ear, the tail, or a lee. 
“Tf the pup, as sometimes happened, objected to this treatment, and endeavoured to 
escape or to misbehave, Jacob would catch hold of its hind leg or tail, and would swing 
it round at arm’s length, and at last fling it from him, 
“The morning of life is decidedly the period of light-heartedness with the baboon ; 
when the weight of years has been accumulated upon the shoulders of a veteran he 
becomes staid and philosophic, and sometimes rather quarrelsome, objecting strongly to 
the presuming manners of his juniors, and taking every opportunity to punish “them 
should they be caught taking liberties with him.” 
The Chacma is supposed to be rather a long-lived animal, and with some reason. For 
although it is not easy to follow the course of a Chacma’s existence from birth to death, 
and there are not as yet any official registers among the quadrumanous tribe, there are 
certain registers which are written by Nature’ s hand, and not subject to erasion, forgery, 
or alteration, One of these official registers, is the proportion that exists between the 
time which is passed by an animal before it attains its adult state, and the entire term of 
its life. It is found that the Chacma arrives at its full development at the age of eight or 
nine years ; and, therefore, its lease of life may be calculated at about forty years. 
The chief, and most legitimate food of this baboon, is the plant which is called from 
this circumstance, Babiana. It affords a curious example of vegetable life existing under 
trying circumstances, as it only gets rain for three months in the year; and during the 
remainder of the twelvemonth is buried in a soil so parched, that hardly any plant except 
itself can exist. The portion that is eaten is the thick, round, subterraneous stem, which 
