126 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF 



ground and but few trees, discovered on one of them 

 a gigantic animal of the monkey tribe. On the ap- 

 proach of the party he came to the ground, and when 

 pursued sought refuge in another tree at some dis- 

 tance, exhibiting, as he moved, the appearance of a 

 tall man-like figure covered with shining brown hair, 

 walking erect with a waddling gait, but sometimes 

 accelerating his motion with his hands, and occasion- 

 ally impelling himself forward with the bough of a 

 tree. His motion on the ground was plainly not his 

 natural mode of progression, for even when assisted 

 by his hands or a stick, it was slow and vacillating ; 

 it was necessary to see him among trees, in order to 

 estimate his agility and strength. On being driven to 

 a small clump, he gained by one spring a very lofty 

 branch, and bounded from one branch to another with 

 the ease and alacrity of another monkey. Had th<3 

 country been covered with wood, it would have been 

 almost impossible to prevent his escape, as his mode* 

 of travelling from one tree to another is described to 

 be as rapid as the progress of a swift horse. Even 

 amidst the few trees that were on the spot, his move- 

 ments were so quick that it was very difficult to 

 obtain a settled aim, and it was only by cutting down 

 one tree after another, that his pursuers, by confining 

 him within a very limited range, were enabled to 

 destroy him by several successive shots, some of which 

 penetrated his body and wounded his viscera. Having 

 received five balls, his exertions relaxed, and, reclining 



