148 TRAPPING WILD ANIMALS 



as possible before starting back for Singapore. 

 Munshee said that the orang-outangs were in good 

 health and that Omar's men, working with AH, had 

 made many captures. Dr. Van Erman cashed a 

 draft for me, so that I should have silver money to 

 distribute to the natives who had helped me, and 

 I started up the river, promising to stop on my 

 way down so that the doctor could see the animals. 



At Munshee's request, I stopped overnight in his 

 village. The people gave me a royal welcome and 

 we had a fine celebration. The news of my coming 

 went ahead of us, and Omar and Ali came down 

 the river, meeting us two hours' distance below the 

 kampong. They gave me an enthusiastic reception 

 and I was touched by their affection. We rowed 

 on up the river and, when we reached Omar's vil- 

 lage, I found that the people had been busy for 

 days, preparing the festivities in honor of my 

 return. 



After greeting the people, I went directly to 

 the cage of the orang-outangs. They showed little 

 fight, and I was encouraged to find that they were 

 not too despondent. I did not want to risk trans- 

 porting them until they had become thoroughly 

 accustomed to captivity or at least as much accus- 

 tomed to it as is possible for orang-outangs. For 

 homesickness grips them just as it grips human 

 beings, and they become pitiable objects. If they 

 refuse to eat, it is scarcely worth while to spend 

 time and money in transporting them, for seasick- 



