12 ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



the Chimpanzee ; and although he has perhaps evinced 

 more power of imitating man than any other, he per- 

 forms all he does with a sad look, frequently accom- 

 panied by petulance, and occasional bursts of fury. 

 One of the smaller species, such as those which at dif- 

 ferent times have been brought to England and Paris, 

 was offered to Mr. Bowdich for purchase, while our 

 ship lay in the river G aboon. His owner left him with 

 us for four weeks, during which time I had an oppor- 

 tunity of watching his habits. He would not associate 

 with any other of the tribe, not even the irresistible 

 Jack ; but was becoming reconciled to me, when one 

 unlucky day I checked his dawning partiality. He fol- 

 lowed me to the panther's cage, and I shall never forget 

 the fearful yell which he uttered. He fled as swiftly as 

 possible, overturning men and boys in his way, with a 

 strength little to be expected from his size ; nor did he 

 stop till he had thrust himself into a boat-sail on the 

 after-deck, with which he entirely covered himself, and 

 which was thenceforward his favourite abode. It was 

 several days before I could reinstate myself in his good 

 opinion, for he evidently thought I had something to do 

 with the panther. The latter had been in such a fury, 

 that the sailors thought he would have broken his cage; 

 and he continued restless and watchful for hours after- 

 wards, proving that the chimpanzee is found in his 

 country of Ashanti, farther to the north than we had 

 imagined. We did not buy the animal, on account of 

 the exorbitant sum asked for him, and the risk of his 

 living during a long voyage. He was always very sad, 

 but very gentle ; and his attachment to his master was 

 very great, clinging to him like a child, and going joy- 

 fully away in his arms. Of those kept in the Zoological 



