6 THE MAN-LIKE APES I 



no calfe. Hee goeth alwaies upon his legs, and carrieth his 

 hands clasped in the nape of his necke when he goeth upon the 

 ground. They sleepe in the trees, and huild shelters for the 

 raine. They feed upon fruit that they find in the woods, and 

 upon nuts, for they eate no kind of flesh. They cannot speake, 

 and have no understanding more than a beast. The people of 

 the countrie, when they travaile in the woods make fires where 

 they sleepe in the night ; and in the morning when they are 

 gone, the Pongoes will come and sit about the fire till it goeth 

 out ; for they have no understanding to lay the wood together. 

 They goe many together and kill many negroes that travaile in 

 the woods. Many times they fall upon the elephants which 

 come to feed where they be, and so beate them with their 

 clubbed fists, and pieces of wood, that they will runne roaring 

 away from them. Those Pongoes are never taken alive 

 because they are so strong, that ten men cannot hold one of 

 them ; but yet they take many of their young ones with 

 poisoned arrowes. 



" The young Pongo hangeth on his mother's belly with his 

 hands fast clasped about her, so that when the countrie people 

 kill any of the females they take the young one, which hangeth 

 fast upon his mother. 



"When they die among themselves, they cover the dead with 

 great heaps of boughs and wood, which is commonly found in 

 the forest." 1 



It does not appear difficult to identify the 

 exact region of which Battell speaks. Longo is 



1 PurcTias' marginal note, p. 982 : "The Pongo a giant ape. 

 He told me in conference with him, that one of these Pongoes 

 tooke a negro boy of his which lived a moneth with them. For 

 they hurt not those which they surprise at unawares, except 

 they look on them ; which he avoyded. He said their highth 

 was like a man's, but their bignesse twice as great. I saw the 

 negro boy. "What the other monster should be he hath for- 

 gotten to relate ; and these papers came to my hand since his 

 death, which, otherwise, in my often conferences, I mi^ht 

 have learned. Perhaps he meaneth the Pigmy Pongo killers 

 mentioned." 



