THE HOOLOCK. 141 



when placed upon a floor or in an open field, balance 

 themselves very prettily, by raising their hands over 

 their head, and slightly bending their arm at the wrist 

 and elbow, and then run tolerably fast, rocking from 

 side to side ; and if urged to greater speed, they let 

 fall their hands to the ground, and assist themselves 

 forward, rather jumping than running, still keeping 

 the body, however, nearly erect ; if they succeed in 

 making their way to a grove of trees, they then swing 

 with such astonishing rapidity from branch to branch, 

 and from tree to tree, that they are soon lost in the 

 jungle or forest. 



" The individual in question became so tame and 

 manageable in less than a month, that he would take 

 hold of my hand and walk with me, helping himself 

 along at the same time with the other hand applied to 

 the ground, as described above. He would come at 

 my call, and seat himself in a chair by my side at the 

 breakfast-table, and help himself to an egg, or the 

 wing of a chicken from my plate, without endangering 

 any of my table furniture. He would partake of 

 coffee, chocolate, milk, tea, &c. ; and although his 

 usual mode of taking liquids was by dipping his 

 knuckles into the cup and licking his fingers, still, 

 when apparently more thirsty, he would take up the 

 vessel from which I fed him with both hands, and 

 drink like a man from a spring. His principal food 

 consisted of boiled rice, boiled bread and milk, with 

 sugar, plantains, bananas, oranges, &c., all of which 



