FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF AFRICA. 267 



care and prudence of their leader. The latter often rouses himself 

 from the most dainty morsel to attend to his duties, standing upright 

 on his hind legs, and looking keenly round. After each survey he 

 announces the result either by the gurgling sound, which indicates 

 that he has seen nothing disquieting, or by the peculiar inimitable 

 quivering cry of warning. When that sound is heard, his followers 

 are gathered together in a moment, the mothers call their young 

 ones, and all are at once ready for flight. The retreat is accom- 

 plished without the slightest sign of terror or cowardice. 



NARRATIVE OF A TROPICAL TRAVELLER. 



The gorilla and monkey tribes appear to be closely allied to 

 the orang-outang, found in some of the tropical islands. We here 

 quote from the interesting narrative of a tropical traveler, wdio 

 captured several orangg. 



This monkey is found in Borneo, and thither Thursday (Thurs- 

 day was a native) — now grown more civilized and more indispens- 

 able — and I turned our faces. We took passage on a craft going 

 out with Chinese laborers, and a hard voyage we had of it, with 

 head winds and a heavy sea. But at last, ten days late, we arrived 

 at Saraouak, and immediately inquired of the native hunters where 

 we could best find the game for which we were in search. They 

 advised the Sadong River, running to the east from Saraouak, and 

 bordered its entire length with dense forests. I hired a Dyak porter 

 to carry our provisions, and we set out. Two days later we were 

 floating on the river, and my ardent desire was about to be gratified. 



Orang-outang is a word meaning in Borneo, "Man-of-the- 

 Forest," and is applied to what is now a species of small stature, 

 rarely five feet high, but of stalwart build, the body being often in 

 circumference two-thirds of the height. His arms are a quarter 

 longer than his legs, so that when traveling on all fours his attitude 

 is half upright; but he never really stands on his legs like a man, 

 popular belief to the contrary notwithstanding. When young his 

 color is tawny, but he grows black with years. 



The orangs live in couples in the most secluded parts of the 

 forest, and are never active, like the chimpanzees, but sit all day 



