54 APES AND MONKEYS. 



where the creature would comfortably ensconce itself in the fold.s of a sail for tlie 

 night. "In making his bed," writes Dr. Abel, "he used the greatest pains to 

 remove everything out of his way that might render the surface on which he 

 intended to lie uneven ; and, having satisfied liimself with this part of his arrange- 

 ment, spread out the sail, and lying down upon it on his back, di-ew it over his 

 body. Sometimes I preoccui^ied his bed, and teased him by refusing to give it up. 

 On these occasions he would endeavour to pull the sail from under me or to force 

 me from it, and would not rest until I had resigned it. If it was large enough for 

 both he would quietly lie down by my side. If all the sails happened to be set, he 

 would hunt about for some other covering, and either steal one of the sailor's 

 jackets or shii-ts that happened to be drying, or empty a hammock of its blankets. 

 His food in Java was chiefly fruit, especially mangosteens, of wliich he was 

 extremely fond. He also sucked eggs with voracity, and often emploj^ed himself 

 in seeking them. On board ship his diet was of no definite kind ; he ate readily of 

 all kinds of meat, and especiallj' raw meat ; and was very fond of bread, but always 

 preferred fruits when he could obtain them. His beverage in Java was water ; on 

 ship-board it was as diversified as his food. He pi'eferred coffee and tea, but would 

 readily take wine, and exemijlified his attachment to spirits by stealing the 

 captain's brandy-bottle ; since his arrival in London, he has preferred beer and 

 milk to anything else, but drinks wine and other liciuoi"s. In his attempts to get 

 food, he afforded us many oppoi-tunities of judging of his sagacity and disposition." 

 The continuation of Dr. Abel's account is too long to be quoted at length, but he 

 gives several other interesting paiiieulars of tlie habits of the animal during the 

 voyage from Java to England. Although habituallj'^ gentle, this orang could be 

 excited into paroxysms of violent rage, which he expressed bj^ opening his mouth, 

 showing his teetli, and seizing and biting such persons as were in his vicinitj'. 

 This animal survived its arrival in England for about fifteen months, when it fell a 

 victim to the disease so fatal to its kindred in our climate. 



The ferocious nature of the orang, when angered or di-iveu to bay, is confirmed 

 both by Sir James Brooke and Mr. Wallace. An instance of this is related bj' the 

 latter writer in the following words : — " A few miles do\\Ti the river there is a Dj'ak 

 house, and the inhabitants saw a large orang feeding on the young shoots of a palm 

 by the river-side. On being alarmed lie retreated towards the jungle, which was 

 close by, and a number of the men, ai-med with spears and choppers, ran out to 

 intercept him. Tlie man who was in front tried to ran his spear through the 

 animal's body, but the mias seized it in liis hands, and in an instant got liold of tlio 

 man's arm, which he seized in his mouth, making his teeth meet in the flesh above 

 the elbow, which he tore and lacerated in a dreadful manner. Had not the others 

 been close behind, the man would have been more seriously injured, if not killed, 

 as he was quite powerless ; but they soon destroyed the creature with their speare 

 and choppers. Tlie man reiiiaine<l ill for some time, and never fully recovered the 

 use of his arm." 



The same writer relates the history of a young orang which he received in 

 Borneo when it was only a foot high. Wlien first carried home tliis tiny creature 

 took such a firm grasp of its new owner's beard, that it was with difficulty it could 

 be made to loose its hold. At the time of its capture there were no signs of teeth 



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