72 THE BABOON. 
of hair that falls over their shoulders, and which, when thick and grey with age, is a 
natural uniform that cannot be wrongly assumed or mistaken. 
These leaders have a mode of communicating their orders to their subordinates, and 
they again to those placed under them, in a curiously-varied language of intonations. 
Short and sharp barks, prolonged howls, sudden screams, quick jabberings, and even 
gestures of limbs and person, are all used with singular rapidity, and repeated from one to 
the other. There wasa system of military telegraphing, by means of attitudes and sounds, 
which was invented some time ago, and which really might have been copied from the 
baboons, so much do their natural tactics resemble the artificial inventions of mankind. 
It must be remembered that, clever as are these animals, their ingenuity is quite 
equalled, and even surpassed, by many of the animal kingdom which are placed much 
lower in its system. Therefore, although these examples of their sagacity are thus placed 
on record, it 1s not to be imagined that the quadrumanous animals are put forward as the 
most rational of the lower creations. 
In recording the known instances of the mental powers displayed by the monkey 
tribe, we only give to the creature its due meed of praise, and act honestly by treating of 
every being with equal justice. It is so sad that many writers should set about such a 
task, having a purpose to serve, and that, in order to give to their own theory the greatest 
weight, they lay the greatest stress upon those records which tell in their favour, while they 
suppress those facts which might tend to overthrow or modify their own peculiar views. 
To resume the account of the baboons :— 
Like all animals which assemble in flocks, they never rest or move without the 
protection of certain sentries, which are chosen out of their number, and which keep the 
most careful watch over the troop to which they belong. The duty is anything but an 
agreeable one, and its labours are equally divided among the community, each competent 
member taking that task upon himself in his own turn. 
When they make an attack upon a field or a plantation, they always guard against 
surprise by posting sentries on elevated spots, and, knowing that due notice will be given 
if any suspicious object be seen or heard, they dé@yote all their energies to the congenial 
business of theft, while the sentries remain at their posts, never daring to withdraw their 
attention from the important charge which is committed to them. However, the sentinels 
do not entirely lose the benefit of all the good things, but take their proper share of the 
spoil after the thievish band has returned to a place of safety ; so that their greatest trial 
is an exercise of patience of rather a prolonged character. 
In their rocky fastnesses, their chief foe is the leopard, and so terrified are they at 
the very sound of their enemy’s voice, that even a very poor imitation of a growl is 
sufficient to set them flying off as fast as their legs can carry them, while a breath of 
air that bears upon its wings the least taint of that rank odour which exhales so powerfully 
from the large Felidie, scatters dire consternation among the assemblage. There is a story 
of a life saved by means of the ingenuity of a native servant, who, seeing his master 
beset by a party of angry baboons, quietly stepped behind a rock, and imitated the growl 
of a leopard with that startling fidelity that is so general an accomplishment among 
savage tribes. 
The leopard seldom attacks an adult baboon, not caring to risk its claws and fangs 
against the hands and teeth of so powerful an opponent. Much less does it openly 
venture to assault a band of baboons in hopes of securing one of their number. Its mode 
of procedure is by slily creeping round their rocky domains, and whipping off one of the 
young baboons before an alarm-is given. 
Bold as are these animals, they will not dare to follow a leopard into its den; so that, 
if their dreaded foe succeeds in once getting clear of their outposts, it may carry off its 
prey with impunity. The constant dread which the leopard seems to excite in a baboon’s 
mind appears to be occasioned more by the stealthy craft and persevering aggression of 
the animal, rather than by its physical powers alone. 
One of these animals, the Thoth Baboon, bore a conspicuous part in the sculptured 
mythology of the Egyptians, and may be seen in almost every stony document that is 
impressed with the hieroglyphical wisdom of that wondrous nation. Only the male 
. 
