406 HISTORY OF 



The animal which was described by that learned physician, 

 was brought from Angola, in Africa, where it had been taken 

 in the internal parts of the country, in company with a female of 

 the same kind, that died by the way. The body was covered 



ary standing posture, and it measured eight feet in height when suspended foi 

 the purpose of being skinned. The form and arrangement of its beard were 

 beautiful ; tliere was a great deal of the hiunan expression in its counte- 

 nance, and its piteous actions when woimded, and great tenacity of life, ren. 

 dered the scene tragical and affecting. On the spot where he was killed, 

 there were five or six tall trees wliich greatly prolonged the combat ; for 

 so great was his strength and agility in bounding from branch to branch, 

 that his pursuers were unable to take a determinate aim, luitU they had 

 felled all the trees but one. Even then he did not yield himself to his anta. 

 gonists till he had received five balls, and been moreover thrust through 

 with a spear. One of the first balls appears to have penetrated his liings, 

 for he was observed immediately to sling himself by his feet from a branch, 

 with his head downwards, so as to allow the blood to flow from his mouth. 

 On receiving a wound, he always put Ids hand over the injured part, and 

 distressed Ms pursuers by the hiunan.like agony of his expression. When 

 on the ground, after being exhausted by his many wounds, he lay as if dead, 

 ■\rith his head resting on his folded arms. It was at this moment that an 

 officer attempted to give him the coup-de-grace by pushing a spear through 

 his body, but he immediately jumped on his feet, wrested the weapon from 

 Ills antagonist, and shivered it in pieces. This was his last woimd, and his 

 last great exertion ; yet he lived some time afterwards, and drank, it is 

 stated, great quantities of water. Captain Cornfoot also observes, that the 

 animal had probably travelled some distance to the place where he was 

 killed, as Iiis legs were covered with mud up to the knees.' 



The coimtenance of tliis tremendous creature, with the exception of the 

 beard, was nearly bare, a few short downy hairs being alone scattered over 

 it. It was of a dark lead colour, excepting the margins of the lips, which 

 were paler. The eyes were small, in relation to those of man, and about an 

 inch apart. The eyelids were well fringed with lashes. Tlie ears were 

 comparatively very small, being not more than an inch and a half long, and 

 barely an inch in breadth. They lay close to the head, and resembled those 

 of the himian race, with the exception of the lower lobe, which was wast- 

 ing. The nose scarcely rose above the level of tlie face, and the nostrils 

 were three-fourtlis of an inch in breadth, and were placed obliquely side by 

 side. Ti\e muzzle was projecting, and the opening of the mouth very large. 

 Tlie lips appeared narrow when closed, but were, in reality, half an inch in 

 thickness. The hair of the head was of a reddish bro\vn coloiu- ; it grew 

 from behind forwards, and measured five inches in lengtli. The beard was 

 handsome, and appeared to have been curly during the lifetime of the animal. 

 Its colour was lighter than the hair of the head, and approached a light 

 chestnut. The beard was about tlu-ee inches long, and sprung very grace- 

 fully from the upper lip, near the angles of the mouth, iu the form of mus- 

 tachios, from whence descending, it clothed the cliin. 



The palms of the hands «ere of great length, and naked from the wrists. 

 Their backs were covered with hair, which was sparse upon the fingers. 



