OF APES. 41 



IV 1th features which approach to thofe of the 

 human countenance, a beard on his chin, and 

 no more hair on his body than men have, when 

 in a ftate of nature. Hence the inhabitants of 

 his country, the civilized Indians, have not he- 

 fitated to aflbciate him with the human fpecies, 

 under the denomination of Orang-outangs or 

 loUd 7nan ; while the Negroes, almoft equally 

 wild, and as ugly as thefe apes, who imagine 

 not that civilization exalts our nature, have gi- 

 ven it the appellation of Pongo, which is the 

 name of a beaft, and has no relation to man. 

 1 his orang-outang or pongo is only a brute, but 

 a biute of a kind fo fingular, that man cannot 

 behold it without contemplating himfelf, and 

 without being thoroughly convinced that his bo- 

 dy is not themoft eflential part of his nature. 



Thus, we have difcovered two animals, the 

 pigmy and the orang-outang, to which the name 

 ■ if ape ought to be applied. There is a third, to 

 ■vhich, though more deformed both in relation 

 ;o man and to the ape, this appellation cannot 

 he refufed. This animal, which till now was 

 unknown, and was brought from the Eaft-lndies, 

 'nder the name of gibbon^ w^alks on end, like 

 xhe other two, and has a flat face. He likewife 

 ^vants a tail. But his arms, inftead of being pro- 

 portioned to the height of his body, like thofe 

 of man, the orang-outang, or the pigmy, are fo 

 snormoufly long, that, when {landing on his 

 fwo feet, he touches the ground with his hands, 



without 



