376 QUADRUMANA. 



Shaw (Mammalia, 1800, vol. i. p. 9) observes, that " there are two dis- 

 tinct species of this animal ; viz., the ' Pongo, or great black Oran- 

 otan,' which is a native of Africa, and * the reddish-brown, or chest- 

 nut Oran-otan,' called the 'Jocko,' which is a native of Borneo, and 

 some other Indian islands." The latter is distinguished, he adds, "by 

 having no nails on the great toes ; whereas, in the Pongo, or black species, 

 they are conspicuous." He does not, however, notice the more important 

 distinctions between them in the comparative length of the arms, the 

 characters of the skull, and the length of the ears. 



That the Chimpanzee and the Orang should have been confounded 

 together, is, after all, not to be wondered at ; in addition, however, to 

 this confusion, the history of the former has been confused with that 

 of the Mandrill. It must be borne in mind, that the travellers who 

 visited Western Africa, in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, were not 

 naturalists ; and, consequently, did not, generally speaking, care to gain 

 a knowledge of these animals by personal examination ; besides which, 

 had opportunities so fallen in their way, most of them were but 

 indifferently qualified as describers ; and were, therefore, very likely, 

 not only to overlook specific distinctions, but also to attribute the man- 

 ners and habits of one large Ape to another. The vagueness of the 

 native names, or rather, perhaps, the mistaken application of them, may 

 have also contributed to error. It would appear that the terms, Smitten, 

 Baris, Boggo, &c., which have been applied by the early travellers, 

 apparently, to the Chimpanzee, refer, as there is reason to believe, 

 really to the Mandrill. At all events, the supposed Chimpanzee, 

 described by Capt. May, of the Dutch service, to Professor Alla- 

 mand, and which was brought from Guinea to Surinam, where it lived 

 for twenty-one years, was, undoubtedly, a Mandrill ; and Buffon's idea, 

 that it was some variety of the "Pongo," or "Great Orang-outang," has 

 not the shadow of a foundation. Though it is stated to have been destitute 

 of a tail, which was, perhaps, lost by accident, its long, blue snout, fur- 

 rowed cheeks, and large, naked callosities, at once indicate its real character. 

 It was a large Mandrill (its size, doubtless, is somewhat exaggerated) ; 

 and Professor Allamand considers it to be identical with the Smitten of Bos- 

 man, and the Quimpese of M. de la Brosse ( Voyage to the Coast of Angola, 

 1730); which, however, is not very probable. M. de la Brosse describes 

 the Quimpese as attaining the height of six or seven feet, and being pos- 

 sessed of matchless strength and courage. These animals, he also states, 

 endeavour to surprise the Negresses, whom they carry into the woods 

 and force to live with them, feeding them plentifully ; but, otherwise, doing 

 them no injury. An instance of this kind came under his own observa- 

 tion : " I knew," he says, " a Negress, at Lowanjo, who had lived three 

 years amongst these animals. They build huts, and arm themselves with 



