A TAME BABOON. 137 



patriarch during tlie whole length of his beat, and gave 

 a sharp tug at his tail as he was about to turn. The old 

 fellow seemed to treat it with the greatest indifference, 

 scarcely turning round at the insult. Master Impudence 

 was about repeating the performance, when the pater, 

 showing that he was not such a fool as he looked, sud- 

 denly sprung round, and catching the young one before he 

 could escape, gave him two or three such cuffs, that I 

 could hear the screams that resulted therefrom. The 

 venerable gentleman then chucked the delinquent over his 

 shoulder, and continued his promenade with the greatest 

 coolness : this old baboon evidently was acquainted with 

 the practical details of Solomon's proverb. A crowd 

 gathered round the naughty child, who, childlike, seeing 

 commiseration, shrieked all the louder. I even fancied I 

 could see the angry glances of the mamma, as she took 

 her dear little pet in her arms and removed it from a 

 repetition of such brutal treatment. 



The habits of these animals are almost human, and 

 their interior and domestic arrangements much to be 

 admired. My friend M , before mentioned in con- 

 nection with my first acquaintance with elephants, pos- 

 sessed a most interesting young baboon, whose fun and 

 tricks frequently afforded me amusement. The baboon 

 used to be allowed to run loose, and accompany us in our 

 quiet walks, and would follow like a dog. It was difficult 

 to restrain his mercurial temperament; at one moment he 

 would jump on one of our backs, holding on by our coats, 

 and then bolt away, as though he never meant to return. 

 His great delight, however, seemed to lie in bullying 



