102 THE NATtJEAL HISTOET OF 



"by their ravishers in a frightful captivity. These 

 reports confirm the narratives of the early voyagers, who 

 have often been suspected of exaggeration, and similar 

 facts have been recently stated, very circumstantially, 

 by gentlemen who have lived in Western Africa. 



( When first our animal came on board/ says Captain 

 Payne, e it shook hands with some of the sailors, but 

 refused its hand, with marks of anger, to others, with- 

 out any apparent cause. It speedily, however, became 

 familiar with the crew, except one boy, to whom it never 

 was reconciled. When the seamen's mess was brought 

 on deck, it was a constant attendant ; would go round 

 and embrace each person, while it uttered loud yells, 

 and then seat itself among them to share the repast.' 

 When angry, it sometimes made a barking noise like 

 a dog ; at other times it would cry like a pettish child, 

 and scratch itself with great vehemence. It expressed 

 satisfaction, especially on receiving sweetmeats, f by 

 a sound like hem, in a grave tone ;' but it seems to 

 have little variety in its voice. In warm latitudes, 

 it was active and cheerful, but became languid as it 

 receded from the torrid zone ; and on approaching our 

 shores, it showed a desire to have a warm covering, 

 and would roll itself carefully up in a blanket when 

 it retired to rest. It generally walked on all fours ; 

 and Captain Payne particularly remarked, that it 

 never placed the palm of the hands of its fore extre- 

 mities to the ground, but, closing its fists, rested on 

 the knuckles ; a circumstance also noticed by Tyscn, 



