368 ORANG-UTAN. 



procure it. The natives are very fond of the 

 animal, and it appears more attached to them 

 than to Europeans. Not being found in Java, 

 it is regarded as a great curiosity ; the natives 

 assigning to it a superior degree of intelligence. 

 The animal, having been presented to the com- 

 mander of a ship to take to Europe, the servants 

 declared, that it had overheard the conversation 

 of its being about to migrate, and always ap- 

 peared melancholy whenever this gentleman 

 visited the house ; adding also, that it was the 

 cause of its present illness. 



The engraving of this animal, in Dr. Abel's 

 work on China, was immediately recognized by 

 the natives ; and his interesting account accords 

 with the generally observed habits. Excepting 

 in intellectual development, I do not consider 

 the orang-utan so closely resembles the human 

 species as the Hylohates syjidactyla, or Ungka 

 ape, which walks more erect ; and, in its in- 

 ternal anatomj^, is more closely allied to the 

 human race. 



Being desirous of gaining some information 

 respecting the usual height these animals attain, 

 I consulted several persons who had visited 

 Borneo, one of whom had been for some time a 

 prisoner in the interior : the greatest elevation 



