272 FURTHER DESCRIPIIOxN OF AFRICA. 



from sight by the thick growth of glossy leaves. I was afraid he 

 would die up there, and I should never get him or his skeleton. It 

 was no use trying to get the Dyaks to climb the tree and cut the 

 branch from under him; they were afraid, and said so. We tried 

 to dislodge him with all sorts of missiles, but in vain. Finally we 

 started to cut down the tree; but when the trunk was severed the 

 tree only leaned over, and was held in that position by innumerable 

 tough vines running to a dozen neighboring trees. It would take 

 us all night to cut them all down; still, we began the work, which 

 almost immediately gave the tree such a shaking that down came 

 the gigantic orang with a tremendous thud. When we came to 

 measure him, we found him a giant indeed, stretching from hand to 

 hand over six feet. When he fell the Chinamen lashed him to a 

 litter and carried him into camp, where it took Charley and myself 

 all day to clean his skin and boil the flesh from his skeleton. From 

 this and many similar experiences I have become convinced that, in 

 spite of stories to the contrary, the orang-outang never attacks 

 man. His policy is always flight, and to my own testimony is added 

 that of all the Chinese wood-cutters whom I met in Borneo ; and the 

 island is full of them. 



A YOUNG ORANG. 



Soon after this a young orang fell into my hands, and I determ- 

 ined to rear him if I could. I started the Dyak off in search of a 

 goat, and told him not to return until he found one. Meanwhile I 

 mixed sugar, bread and water together, and, although at first he 

 declined it energetically, he soon sucked it from my finger with a 

 decided gusto. It proved, however, too strong food for so young 

 a stomach, and I was just beginning to think he would die on my 

 hands, when the Dyak, followed by a Chinaman and a goat, came 

 into camp. The Chinaman was sharp at trading; but finally, after 

 pretending that I cared nothing whatever about his goat, and aftei 

 long haggling on his part, starting at one hundred rupees (twelve 

 dollars and fifty cents) and coming down to five, the goat became 

 mine, and the little orang-outang obtained a step-mother that soon 

 rivalled its own mother in tenderness. She nursed it and caressed 



