tQi Descr'ipl'w}} of an Ourang Outang. 



Of the intellecfnal Phcpnamcua which, have for their Object 

 to defend the Animal against Danger, 



Nature has given tlit ourang outang but few means of 

 defence. Next to iiian, it is an animal perhaps which finds 

 in lis own resources the tec-blesl defence against danjiers : 

 but in recompense it has a great facihty in ascending trees, 

 and thus escaping the enemies which ii cannot combat. 

 These sole considerations woidd be sufficient, for encourag- 

 ing the presumption that nature has endowed the ourang- 

 outang with great circumspection. In fact, the prudence 

 of this animal is conspicuous in all its actions, and chiefly 

 in those which have for their object to save it from some 

 dangers. Nevertheless its tranquil life, while under my in- 

 spection, and tlie impossibiluy of sui)jeciing it to severe ex- 

 periments in the weak state in which it was, prevented me 

 from making many observations: but assisted by those 

 which had been made by-M.Decaen during the voyage 

 from the Isle of France to Europe, my readers will obtain 

 some idea of its intellectual faculties. 



During the first week after its embarkation this ourang 

 outang evinced great fears for its safety, aiul seemed greatly 

 to exaggerate the dangers of the rolling of the vessel. It 

 never ventured to walk, without firmly grasping in its hands 

 the ropes or other parts of the vessel : it constantly refused 

 to ascend ihe masts, however solicitous the crew were to 

 induce it, and it was only prevailed on to do so from a 

 sentiment, or a want, which nature seems to have carried to 

 a high degree of perlection in animals of this kind : this 

 sentmient was that of affection, which our animal constantly 

 evinced, and I have no doubt that it would Icatl the ourang 

 putangs to live in society and to defend themselves mutually, 

 when certain dangers menaced then), like other animals 

 which nature forms for herding together. However this 

 maybe, our ouranc; outang never had the couraire to ascend 

 the masts unid M. Deeaeii did so himself: it followed him 

 up for the first tinie; and having thus acquired some confi- 

 dence in its o\\ n powers, it used frequently to repeat the 

 experiment. 



The means emploved bv the ourang oulangs in defending 

 iht mselvcs are in general ihose which are common to all 

 timid animals, — artilice and prudence : but the former have 

 a strength of judgement far .-uperior to the hitter, and which 

 they emplov occasionally to remove enemies from them 

 who- are stronger. This was proved to us in a very re- 

 markable manner by tiie aninjal in question. Living in a 



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