MONKEY KIND. 29 



found, seem to hold undisputed dominion. Many 

 of these are as tall or taller than a man ; active, 

 strong, and intrepid, cunning, lascivious, and 

 cruel. This redoubtable rival of mankind is 

 found in many parts of Africa, in the East Indies, 

 in Madagascar, and in Borneo.* In the last of 

 these places, the people of quality course him as 

 we do the stag ; and this sort of hunting is one of 

 the favourite amusements of the king himself. 

 This creature is extremely swift of foot, endowed 

 with extraordinary strength, and runs with pro- 

 digious celerity. His skin is all hairy, his eyes 

 sunk in his head, his countenance stern, his face 

 tanned, and all his lineaments, though exactly 

 human, harsh and blackened by the sun. In 

 Africa this creature is even still more formidable. 

 Battel calls him the Pongo, and assures us that in 

 all his proportions he resembles a man, except 

 that he is much larger, even to a gigantic state. 

 His face resembles that of a man, the eyes deep 

 sunk in the head, the hair on each side extremely 

 long, the visage naked and without hair, as also 

 the ears and the hands. The body is lightly 

 covered, and scarcely differing from that of a 

 man, except that there are no calves to the legs. 

 Still, however, the animal is seen to walk upon 

 his hinder legs, and in an erect posture. He 

 sleeps under trees, and builds himself a hut, 

 which serves to protect him against the sun and 

 the rains of the tropical climates, of which he is 

 a native. He lives only upon fruits, and is no 



* Le CompteVHistory'of China, 

 VOL. III. T 



