Chap. I. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. t-j 



whom we have an account in the Tranfadions for the year 1769 *. 

 He alfo is an inhabitant of the woods, and fubfifts, as the account fays, 

 upon fruit, leaves, bark of trees, and milk. This animal is of the hu- 

 man form, and walks upright, but differs from the Oran Outan defcri- 

 bed by Tiflbn in this refpedt, that he has not buttocks, nor brawns of 

 the leg, fuch as Tiflbn's Oran Outan had j and, 2dly, That he is not 

 of the ftature of that Oran Outan: For the Golok is only of the com- 

 mon height of a man, whereas the Oran Outan, diffeded by Tyffon, 

 was very young, being under two years, which was the age of the 

 Oran Outan that Buffon faw and has defcribed ; for he was of 

 lefs ftature than Buffon's Oran Outan, being not much abov^e two 

 feet, and his teeth were not altogether formed f. It is therefore 

 highly probable, that, if he had lived in his own climate, in the na- 

 tural way, he would have grown, not to the fize of five feet only, 

 computing according to the ordinary rate of our growth, as Buffon 

 fuppofes, but to the ftature of the, great Oran Outan of Angola, 

 from which country he came ; for an animal, fo much bigger, 

 ftronger, and longer lived than we, muft neceffarily take much long- 

 er time to grow. And I cannot doubt that the great Oran Outan, 

 in his native woods, grows till he is thirty, or, perhaps, torty years 

 of age. However, as the Golok is defcribed as gentle and modeft, 

 I incline to be of opinion that he is likewne a man, and not a mon- 

 key. 



If thefe fads concerning Peter be true, and the inferences I have 

 drawn from them juft, fuch a living example ot the ftate of Nature 

 will, I hope, fatisfy even the men of experiment, who will believe 

 nothing but what falls under the evidence of their Senfes. 



Before I conclude what I have to fay of Peter and the Oran Ou- 



tan^ I muft obferve, that, as the humanity of Peter never was difpu- 



ted, I think we can as little doubt of that of the Oran Outan, who 



relcmbles 

 * Page 71. 

 t SceBuffon's Natural Hiflory, Vol. xiv. p. 52^ 



