442 THE PHILOSOPHY 



the faculty of fpeech*. Many other furprifing a^ftlons per- 

 formed by this animal are recorded by different voyagers, 

 which it is unneceffary to repeat, efpecially as we have a fuf- 

 ficient number of facls attefted by unequivocal evidence. 

 The Count de Buffon, with much probability, confiders what 

 zre called the large and fmall orang-outangs to be the fame 

 fpecies of animals ; for thofe hitherto brought to Europe 

 were very young, and had not acquired one half of their 

 flature. 



* The orang-outang,' fays Buffon, < which I faw, walked 

 ' always on two feet, even when carrying things of conlider- 

 ' able weight. His air was melancholy, his movements meaf- 



< ured, his difpofitions gentle, and very different from thofe 

 ^ of other apes. He had neither the impatience of the Bar^ 



* bary ape, the malicioufnefs of the baboon, nor. the extrav- 

 ^ agance of the monkeys. It may be alledged that he had 

 « the benefit of inftruction ; but the apes, which I fhall com- 

 « pare with him, were educated in the fame manner. Signs 

 ^ and words were alone fufficient to make our orang-outang 

 ^ acl : But the baboon required a cudgel, and the other apes 



< a whip 1, for none of them would obey without blows. I 



< have {een this animal prefent his hand to conduct the peo- 

 ' pie who came to vifit him, and walk as gravely along 

 ^ with them as if he had formed a part of the company. I 

 « have fcen him fit dovm at a table, unfold his towel, wipe 

 f his lips, ufe a fpoon or a fork to carry the victuals to his 

 i mouth, pour his liquor into a glafs, and make it touch that 

 ^ of the perfon who drank along with him. When invited 



* to drink tea, he brought a cup and a faucer, placed them on 



* the table, put in fugar, poured out the tea, and allowed it 

 ? to cool before he drank it. All thefe a£lions he pcrform- 



/ pd without any other inftigation than the figns or verbal or^ 

 ? ders of his mafier, and often of his own accord. He did no. 



* Jac. Bont. Hift. Nat. Ind. czj). 3a, 



