33 THE OURANG OUTANG. 



the disorder and shorten its life. It continued at Paris 

 but one summer, and died in London. It eat indiscrimi- 

 nately of all things, but preferred dry and ripe fruits to all 

 aliments. It would drink wine, but in small quantities, 

 and gladly left it for milk, tea, or any other sweet liquor. 



Such these animals appeared when brought into Europe. 

 However, many of their extraordinary habits were proba- 

 bly the result of education, and we are not told how long 

 the instructions they received for this purpose were 

 continued. But we learn from another account that they 

 take but a very short time to come to a great degree of 

 imitative perfection. Mr. L. Brosse bought two young 

 ones, that were but a year old, from a negro ; and these at 

 that early age discovered an astonishing power of imita- 

 tion. They even sat at the table like men, eat of every 

 thing without distinction, made use of their knife, spoon, 

 and fork, both to eat their meat and help themselves. 

 They drank wine and other liquors. When carried on 

 shipboard, they made signs to the cabin-boys expressive of 

 their wants ; and whenever these neglected'attending upon 

 them as they desired, they instantly flew into a passion, 

 seized them by the arm, bit them, and kept them down. 

 The male was sea-sick, and required attendance like a 

 human creature ; he was even twice bled in the arm, and 

 every time afterwards when he found himself out of order, 

 he s'hewed his arm, as desirous of being relieved by 

 bleeding. 



There are many reasons to believe, that the most 

 perfect of the kind go on all fours, like the rest of the 

 quadruped creation, and only owe their erect attitude to 

 human education. When we examine the palms of their 

 hands and the soles of their feet, we find both equally 

 callous and beaten ; a certain proof that both have been 

 equally used. In those hot countries where the apes are 

 known to reside, the soles of the negroes feet, who go 

 bare-foot, are covered with a skin above an inch thick ; 

 while their hands are as soft as those of an European. 

 Did the ape walk iu the same manner, the same exercise 

 would have furnished them with similar advantages, which 

 is not the case. 



