114 THE GIBBON, OR 



guiflied fom the other apes by the prodigious 

 length of his arras : When ftanding ereO. on his 

 hind feet, his hands touch the ground ; and he 

 can walk on his four feet without bending his 

 body. Round the face there is a circle of white, 

 yvhich gives him a very extraordinary appear- 

 ance. His eyes are large, but deep funk. His 

 cars are naked. His face is fiat, of a tawny co- 

 lour, and pretty fimilar to that of man. After 

 the orang-outang and the pigmy, the gibbon 

 would make the nearcll approach to the human 

 figure, if he was not deformed by the cxceffive 

 length of his arms ; for, in a ftate of nature, man 

 would likewife have a llrange afpedl. The hair 

 and the beard, if neglected, would form round 

 his countenance a circle fimilar to that which 

 furrounds the face of the gibbon. 



This ape appeared to be of a tranquil difpo- 

 firion, and of gentle manners. His movements 

 were neither too briflc nor precipitant. He re- 

 ceived mildly what was given him to eat. He 

 was fed with bread, fruits, almonds, &c. He 

 •^yas afraid of cold and m.oiflure, and did not 

 live long in a foreign climate. He is a native 

 of the Eafl: Indies, and particularly of Coroman- 

 del, Malacca, and the Molucca illands *. It ap- 

 pears 



* Faihc: h Conite tells us, that he faw in the Molucca's a 

 Jtind of ape. which walked naturally on two feet, ufcd its 

 hands like a man, and had a face like that of a Hottentot. 

 But the whole body was coveicd witji a kind of gray wool. 



