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ANIMALS OF 



different figure. Such were the principal dis- 

 tinctions between the internal parts of this 

 animal and those of man ; in ahnost every 

 thing else they were entirely and exactly the 

 same, and discovered an astonishing congrui- 

 ty. Indeed, many parts were so much alike 

 in conformation, that it might have excited 

 wonder how they were productive of such 

 few advantages. The tongue, and all the 

 organs of the voice, were the same, and yet. 

 the animal was dumb; the brain was formed 

 in the same manner with that of man, and 

 yet the creature wanted reason: an evident 

 proof (as Mr. Buffbn finely observes) that 

 no dispositions of matter will give mind; and 

 that the body, how nicely soever formed, is 

 formed in vain, when there is not infused a 

 soul to direct its operations. 



Having thus taken a comparative view of 

 this creature with man, what follows may be 

 necessary to complete the general description. 

 This animal was very hairy all behind, from 

 the head downwards; and the hair so tbirk, 

 that it covered the skin almost from being 

 seen: but in all parts before, the hair was 

 much thinner, the skin every where appear- 

 ed, and in some places it was almost bare. 

 When it went on all-fours, as it was some- 

 times seen to do, it appeared all hairy; when 

 it went erect, it appeared before less hairy, 

 and more like a man. Its hair, which in this 

 particular animal was black, much more re- 

 sembled that of men than the fur of brutes : 

 for, in the latter, besides their long hair, there 

 is usually a finer and a shorter intermixed ; 

 but in the ouran outang it was all of a kind ; 

 only about the pubes the hair was grayish, 

 seemed longer, and somewhat different; as 

 also on the upper lip and chin, where it was 

 grayish, like the hair of a beard. The face, 

 hands, and soles of the feet, were without 

 hair; and so was most part of the forehead : 

 but down the sides of the face the hair .was 

 thick, it being there about an inch and a half 

 long, which exceeded that on any other part 

 of the body. In the palms of its hands were 

 remarkable those lines which are usually 

 taken notice of in palmistry; and, at the tips 

 of the fingers, (hose spiral lines observed in 

 man. The palms of the hands were as long 

 as the soles of the feet; and the toes upon 

 these were as long as the fingers ; the middle 



toe was the longest of all, and the whole foot 

 differed from the human. The hinder feet 

 being thus formed as hands, the animal often 

 used them as such ; and, on the contrary, now 

 and then made use of its hands instead of 

 feet. The breasts appeared small and shri- 

 velled, but exactly like those of a man : the 

 navel also appeared very fair, and in exact 

 dispositions, being neither harder nor more 

 prominent than what is usually seen in chil- 

 dren. Such is the description of this extra- 

 ordinary creature; to which little has been 

 added by succeeding observers, except that 

 the colour of the hair is often found to vary : 

 in that described by Edwards it was of a 

 reddish brown. 



From a picture so like that of the human 

 species, we are naturally led to expect a cor- 

 responding mind ; and it is certain, that such 

 of these animals as have been shown in Eu- 

 rope, have discovered a degree of imitation 

 beyond what any quadruped can arrive at. 



That of Tyson was a gentle, fond, harm- 

 less creature. In its passage to England, 

 those that it knew on ship-board, it would 

 embrace with the greatest tenderness, open- 

 ing their bosoms, and clasping its hands about 

 them. Monkeys of a lower species it held in 

 utter aversion ; it would always avoid the 

 place where they were kept in the same ves- 

 sel; and seemed to consider itself as a crea- 

 ture of higher extraction. After it was taken, 

 and a little used to wear clothes, it grew very 

 fond of them; a part it would put on without 

 any help, and the rest it would carry in its 

 hands to some of the company, for their as- 

 sistance. It would lie in a bed, place its 

 head on the pillow, and pull the clothes up- 

 wards, as a man would do. 



That which -was seen by Edwards, and de- 

 scribed by Buffbn, showed even a superior 

 degree of sagacity. It walked, like all of 

 its kind, upon two legs, even though it car- 

 ried burdens. Its air was melancholy, and 

 its deportment grave. Unlike the baboon or 

 monkey, whose motions are violent and ap- 

 petites capricious, who are fond of mischief, 

 and obedient only from fear, this animal was 

 slow in its motions, and a look was sufficient 

 to keep it in awe. I have seen it, says Mr. 

 Buffon, give its hand to show the company to 

 the door: I have seen it sit at table, unfold 



