200 ON THE NATURAL HISTORY 



" The greatest of these two monsters is called Pongo 

 in their language, and the lesser is called Engeco. This 

 Pongo is in all proportion like a man ; but that he is 

 more like a giant in stature than a man ; for he is very 

 tall, and hath a man's face, hollow-eyed, with long haire 

 upon his browes. His face and eares are without haire, 

 and his hands also. His bodie is full of haire, but not 

 very thicke ; and it is of a dunnish colour. 



" He differeth not from a man but in his legs ; for they 

 have no calfe. Hee goeth alwaies upon his legs, and 

 carrieth his hands clasped in the nape of his necke when 

 he goeth upon the ground. They sleepe in the trees, and 

 build shelters for the raine. They feed upon fruit that 

 they find in the woods, and upon nuts, for they eate no 

 kind of flesh. They cannot speake, and have no under- 

 standing more than a beast. The people of the countrie, 

 when they travaile in the woods make fires where they 

 sleepe in the night ; and in the morning when they are 

 gone, the Pongoes will come and sit about the fire till it 

 goeth out ; for they have no understanding to lay the 

 wood together. They goe many together and kill many 

 negroes that travaile in the woods. Many tim.es they fall 

 upon the elephants which come to feed where they be, 

 and so beate them with their clubbed fists, and pieces of 

 wood, that they will runne roaring away from them. 

 Those Pongoes are never taken alive because they are so 

 strong, that ten men cannot hold one of them ; but yet 

 they take many of their young ones with poisoned arrowes. 



" The young Pongo hangeth on his mother's belly with 

 his hands fast clasped about her, so that when the countrie 

 people kill any of the females they take the young one, 

 which hangeth fast upon his mother. 



" When they die among themselves, they cover the 

 dead with great heaps of boughs and wood, which is 

 commonly found in the forest." * 



* Purchas' marginal note, p. 982 : " The Pongo a giant ape. He 

 told me in conference with him, that one of these Pongoes tooke a 

 negro boy of his which lived a moneth with them. For they hurt 

 not those which they surprise at unawares, except they look on them ; 

 which he avoyded. He said their highth was like a man's, but their 

 bignesse twice as great. I saw the negro boy. What the other 

 monster should be he hath forgotten to relate ; and these papers 

 came to my hand since his death, which, otherwise, in my often con- 

 ferences, I might have learned. Perhaps he meaneth the Pigmy 

 Pongo killers mentioned." 



