74 MAMMALIA—ORANG OUTANG. 
sake of reading apart from the noise of the ship; and, having satisfied him- 
self that my pockets contained no eatables, would lie down by my side, and 
pulling a topsail entirely over him, peep from it occasionally to watch my 
movements. 
“His favorite amusement in Java, was in swinging from the branches of 
trees, in passing from one to another, and in climbing over the roofs of 
houses ; on board, in hanging by his arms from the ropes, and in romping 
with the boys of the ship. He would entice them into play by striking 
them with his hand as they passed, and bounding from them, but allowing 
them to overtake him, and engage in a mock scuffle, in which he used his 
hands, feet, and mouth. If any conjecture could be formed from these 
frolics, of his mode of attacking an adversary, it would appear to be his first 
object to throw him down, then to secure him with his hands and feet, and 
then wound him with his teeth. 
‘“‘On board ship, he commonly slept at the mast-head, after wrapping him- 
self inasail. In making his bed, he used the greatest pains to remove 
every thing out of his way, that might render the surface on which he 
intended to lie, uneven; and, having satisfied himself with this part of his 
arrangement, spread out the sail, and lying down upon it on his back, drew 
it over his body. Sometimes I pre-oceupied his bed, and teased him by 
refusing to give it up. On these occasions, he would endeavor to pull the 
sail from under me, or to force me from it, and would not rest till I had 
resigned it. If it were large enough for both, he would quietly le 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 sailors’ jackets or shirts that 
happened to be drying, or empty a hammock of its blankets. Off the Cape 
of Good Hope, he suffered much from a low temperature, especially early 
in the morning, when he would descend from the mast, shivering with cold, 
and running up to any one of his friends, climb into their arms, and clasp- 
ing them closely, derive warmth from their persons, screaming violently at 
any attempt to remove him. si 
“His food in Java was chiefly fruit, especially mangostans, of which he 
was extremely fond. He preferred coffee and tea, but would readily take 
wine, and exemplified his attachment to spirits by stealing the captain’s 
brandy bottle. Since his arrival in London, he has preferred beer and milk 
to any thing else, but drinks wine and other liquors. 
“In his attempts to obtain food, he afforded us many opportunities of 
judging of his sagacity and disposition. He was always very impatient to 
receive it when held out to him, and became passionate when it was not 
soon given up; and would chase a person all over the ship to obtain it. I 
seldom came upon deck without sweetmeats or fruit in my pocket, and 
could never escape his vigilant eye. Sometimes I endeavored to evade him 
by ascending to the mast-head, but was always overtaken or intercepted in 
my progress. When he came up with me on the shrouds, he would secure 
