62 ANIMAL SKETCHES. CHAP. 



Of the young orang-utan, to which we must now turn, 

 Mr. Wallace gives a charming description in that delightful 

 hook of his, The Malay Archipelago. Having shot a mother 

 Mias (as the creature is called in the Dyak tongue) he 

 found a poor little orphaned child lying face downward in 

 the swamp. Its toothless mouth was full of dirt ; but when 

 this was cleaned out it began to cry right lustily and 

 seemed quite strong and active. So Mr. Wallace took it 

 unto himself and became its foster-father. Unfortunately 

 there was no milk to be had, and the little Mias had to be 

 content with a somewhat thin and cheerless substitute 

 rice-water from a bottle with a quill in the cork. The great 

 naturalist was very gentle and tender with his pet. He 

 fitted up a little box for a cradle, with a soft mat, which 

 was changed and cleaned every day, for it to lie upon. With 

 his own hands he washed the little Mias. " After I had 

 done so a few times," he says, " it came to like the operation, 

 and as soon as it was dirty would begin crying, and not 

 leave off till I took it out and carried it to the spout, when 

 it immediately became quiet, although it would wince a 

 little at the first rush of the cold water, and make ridiculously 

 wry faces while the stream was running over its head. It 

 enjoyed the wiping and rubbing dry amazingly, and when 

 I brushed its hair seemed to be perfectly happy, lying quite 

 still, with its arms and legs stretched out, while I 

 thoroughly brushed the long hair of its back and arms." 

 I confess I like this picture of the strong, bearded naturalist, 

 to whose voice all Europe was soon to listen, whose name 

 was to be intimately associated with that of Charles Darwin, 

 washing, wiping, rubbing dry, and thoroughly brushing 

 up a little baby ape. " How could he touch the nasty 

 little thing !" may be the exclamation of some. I do not 

 think they see so deeply into the beauty and mystery of the 

 great world of living things as did Alfred Russel Wallace. 



