THE MONKE Y FAMIL Y. 185 



whether in freedom or in captivity (as, alas, I myself now am), is 

 never at perfect ease, unless in the trees of the forest." 



In height, the orang-outang, which is the largest ape hitherto dis- 

 covered, does not exceed five feet. Our own unrivalled comparative 

 anatomist is, I believe, of this opinion, although I have formerly 

 read of an ape, killed and measured in Sumatra, approaching nearly 

 to seven feet Most probably there has been an error here. 



Monkeys would be poorly off, indeed, if they had to seek for their 

 daily food on the ground. Supposing, for an instant which, by the 

 way, is not the case that their daily food does attach to the ground, 

 pray tell me, how they are to acquire it ? They have not snouts like 

 those of swine, formed particularly to root up the earth, nor feet like 

 badgers which will penetrate it to almost any depth. Their fingers 

 and their nails are nearly similar to our own. Say then, how could 

 we, by the bare use of our hands, get at a root of horse-radish, or of 

 aconite ? Ah, that poisonous root aconite ! Poor young Mackenzie 

 perished by it. Well did I know him. Not a more virtuous, nor a 

 more amiable, nor a more charitable young gentleman could be 

 found throughout the extent of Scotland's wide domain. Better fate 

 did he deserve than to have lost his valuable life, through the 

 blundering mistake of a culinary menial who having been sent to 

 the garden for a root of horse-radish, most unfortunately brought 

 back with him a handful of aconite, commonly known by the name 

 of monk's-hood or wolf's-bane, and it served to garnish a dish of 

 roast-beef for dinner. 



I trust that my young readers will have formed by this time a 

 competent idea of the beauty and grandeur to be observed in the 

 ever-green forests of the torrid zone, where, as I have already 

 remarked, in its lower regions cold is utterly unknown, except in 

 sickness ; where fruit is ever ripening ; and where man, with all his 

 deadly weapons, is but a transient visitor in the wilds ; and when he 

 does make his appearance there, can easily be avoided by the brute 

 creation, which invariably retires on his approach. 



" And every beast before him ran, 

 To shun the hateful sight of man." 



These magnificent, and nearly impenetrable forests, then, flourishing 



