78 Orang-^Outang five Homo Sykeftris : Qx, 



Both when it was alive, and after it's death, I admired the ftraitnefs 

 and (hape of it's Back. Now the Scapula, coming down fo low on the 

 Ribs, and inclining towards the Vertebra of the Back, and the Os llmm 

 riling fo high,they do contribute very much towards it 5 and muft alfo 

 afford a great fafeguard and flrength to the S^c^^and <ypz>e. 



t.\\tScektonoi om. 'Pygmie •wd.s juft the fame length of one of a 

 Monkeys that I borrowed : But becaufe 1 obferved moft of the Apophyfes 

 ot tho-^on^s to ht Cartilaginous in the Pygmie, I muft conclude, that 

 'twas hut yofing-j and that probably it might grow taller 3 to what height 

 I am uncertain. Yet I can by no means be induced to believe , that it 

 would ever arrive to the Stature of a M<?«, as fome .fort of this Specks 

 of Animals has been obferved to do , for then I could not exped,to have 

 feen here, the Bofies themfelves fo folid, or the Cranium to be fo entire- 

 ly oflSfied, or the Sutures to be fo clofed and indented, and the Backc 

 hone and Ribs fo fully hardened, as all the Bones of the Artus or Limbs 

 were likewife, except at their Apophyfes, and in the Carpus and Tarfus. 

 Now all thefe Parts that had thefe Cartilaginous Apophyfes, had~ already 

 acquired fo great a length, in proportion to the reft of the Body^ that 

 'tis not to be imagined, that they would have exceeded it, or at leaft 

 not much 3 and confidering that Animals come to their aKfAv, of growth 

 fooner or later, according to their Longevity, as a Man, (till he is paft 

 the Age that any of thefe Creatures, it may be, arrive to) does not leave 

 growing: this inclines me to think, fince we found moft parts of the 

 Body fo perfefted here, that it might not in time much exceed the height 

 it had already acquired. I could have wifhed that thofe that have wrote 

 of any of this Species oC Animals, had given us their Dimenfions anci 

 Ages, but they are filent herein, or at leaft too general : only Le Compte 

 obferved an Ape in the Straits of Molucca four foot high 3 but this may 

 not be our fort. As to thofe of Borneo, I was informed by a Sea- 

 Captain who ufed thofe Parts, that the King there formerly had one as 

 tall as a Man, that would frequently come down to the Town, and a 

 great many Stories are told of him. The fame Captain had two given 

 him, both young, and about the height of our Pygmie 3 but thefe were 

 not hairy, but naked as a Man 5 and one of them that he carried ro Ba- 

 tavia, was looked upon as fo great a Rarity, that all the time he ftaid 

 there, his Ship was conftantly vifited by fuch as came to fee it. But 'tis 

 Matter of Fatft, not Reafoning, that will beft determine this doubt , 

 and a faithful Obfervation that muft inform us^ to Vv^hat tallnefs this 

 ion oi Anir/tal in Angola, and the Countries thereabout, does ufually 

 grow 3 for in different Countries they may be different in this refpeft, 

 tho' the fame iSjpeaey, as is feen even in Mrf«4'«^» 



'Tis not therefore that I am fond of the word Pygmie, that I have 

 call'd om Ammalio^ or that I would undertake to juftifie our prefent 



Subjea 



