THE BLACK OBAffO. 108 



which was confirmed to me by a young navy officer, 

 who had been for a considerable time employed in the 

 rivers of Western Africa, and had opportunities of 

 observing the habits of this species. This animal did 

 not seem fond of the erect posture, which it rarely 

 affected, though it could run nimbly on two feet for 

 a short distance. In this case, it appeared to aid the 

 motion of its legs by grasping the thighs with its hands. 

 It had great strength in the four fingers of its superior 

 extremity ; for it would often swing by them on a 

 rope upwards of an hour, without intermission. When 

 first procured, it was so thickly covered with haif 

 that the skin of the trunk and limbs was scarcely 

 visible, until the long black hair was blown aside. It 

 ate readily every sort of vegetable food ; but at first 

 did not appear to relish flesh, though it seemed to 

 have pleasure in sucking the leg-bone of a fowl. At 

 that time it did not relish wine, but afterwards 

 seemed to like it, though it never could endure ardent 

 spirits. It once stole a bottle of wine, which it un- 

 corked with its teeth, and began to drink. It showed 

 a predilection for coffee ; and was immoderately fond 

 of sweet articles of food. It learned to feed itself with 

 a spoon, to drink out of a glass, and showed a general 

 disposition to imitate the actions of men. It was at- 

 tracted by bright metals, seemed to take pride in 

 clothing, and often put a cocked hat on its head. It 

 was dirty in its habits, and never was known to wash 



