168 THE LONG-ARMED APE THE BABOON. 



gentleman ought to possess, than to direct the attention to those 

 minutia? which are more particularly suited to the investigations 

 of such as make these studies their peculiar profession. We 

 shall only observe, that all these accounts of the ourang outang, 

 although they somewhat differ in certain minute particulars, agree 

 upon the whole ; and the differences discoverable in the relation 

 of travellers, are only such as may reasonably be supposed to 

 exist between different individuals of the same species, in the 

 endless diversity of Nature's ever-varying form. 



"We have been somewhat particular in exhibiting the external 

 structure and characteristic disposition of this extraordinary 

 creature, since it must be considered as one of the wonders of 

 Nature, which shows how nearly the animal may approach to the 

 human form, and how much instinct may, in some respects, imi- 

 tate intellect. In the latter comparison, however, we cannot but 

 perceive an immense disproportion. The ourang outang soon 

 attains to the perfection of its imitative operations, and arrives 

 at a boundary which it cannot pass. Instinctive sagacity it ap- 

 pears to possess in an eminent degree, but exhibits no marks of 

 intellectual operation, no traces of reason ; between matter and 

 mind, there will always be an immense interval. The near ap- 

 proach of this animal to the human form, without possessing any 

 of the faculties of the human mind, will undoubtedly excite our 

 gratitude to the beneficent Creator, for the high prerogatives 

 accorded to us in the inestimable gift of intellect. 



THE LONG-ARMED APE 



Is the animal which, next to the ourang outang, bears the 

 nearest resemblance to the human form. It has no tail, and 

 walks erect: its ordinary stature is from three to four feet: its 

 visage is flat, of a tawny colour, and encircled with grey hair: 

 its eyes are large and sunk ; and, on the whole, it has a remark- 

 able singularity of aspect. But the most striking distinction of 

 this animal, is the extraordinary length of its arms, which reach 

 to the ground when it stands in an upright posture. It feeds on 

 the fruits, leaves, and bark of trees ; is of a mild and tractable 

 disposition; and, like all the ape and monkey race, is fond of 

 imitation. It is a native of India, and several of the oriental 

 islands. 



THE BABOON 



Differs from most animals of the ape kind, not only in exter- 

 nal formation, but in its disposition, which is fierce and untract- 

 able. There are several varieties of this animal, which altogether 

 constitute a fierce and formidable race. The baboon is exceed- 

 ingly strong ; its body and limbs are thick ; its tail is about eight 



