I THE ORANG-OUTANG 23 



often regarded as a chimsera, continues Rader- 

 macher, would perhaps long have remained so, 

 had it not been for the exertions of the Resident 

 at Rembang, M. Palm, who, on returning from 

 Landak towards Pontiana, shot one, and forwarded 

 it to Batavia in spirit, for transmission to Europe. 

 Palm's letter describing the capture runs 

 thus : " Herewith I send your Excellency, con- 

 trary to all expectation (since long ago I offered 

 more than a hundred ducats to the natives for an 

 Orang-Utan of four or five feet high) an Orang 

 which I heard of this morning about eight o'clock. 

 For a long time we did our best to take the 

 frightful beast alive in the dense forest about 

 half way to Landak. We forgot even to eat, so 

 anxious were we not to let him escape ; but it 

 was necessary to take care that he did not 

 revenge himself, as he kept continually breaking 

 off heavy pieces of wood and green branches, and 

 dashing them at us. This game lasted till four 

 o'clock in the afternoon, when we determined to 

 shoot him ; in which I succeeded very well, and 

 indeed better than I ever shot from a boat 

 before ; for the bullet went just into the side of 

 his chest, so that he was not much damaged. We 

 got him into the prow still living, and bound him 

 fast, and next morning he died of his wounds. 

 All Pontiana came on board to see him when we 

 arrived." Palm gives his height from the head 

 to the heel as 49 inches. 



