94 BORNEO— THE ORANG-UTAN. [chap. iv. 



destroyed wherever it grows surrounded by forest, but they 

 will not cross clearings to get at them. It seems won- 

 derful how the animal can tear open this fruit, the outer 

 covering of which is so thick and tough, and closely 

 covered with strong conical spines. It probably bites off 

 a few of these first, and then, making a small hole, tears 

 open the fruit with its powerful fingers. 



The Mias rarely descends to the ground, except when, 

 pressed by hunger, it seeks for succulent shoots by the 

 river side ; or, in very dry weather, has to search after 

 water, of which it generally finds sufficient in the hollows 

 of leaves. Once only I saw two half-grown Orangs on the 

 ground in a dry hollow at the foot of the Simunjon hill. 

 They were playing together, standing erect, and grasping 

 each other by the arms. It may be safely stated, however, 

 that the Orang never walks erect, unless when using its 

 hands to support itself by branches overhead or when 

 attacked. Eepresentations of its walking with a stick 

 are entirely imaginary. 



The Dyaks all declare that the Mias is never attacked 

 by any animal in the forest, with two rare exceptions ; and 

 the accounts I received of these are so curious that I give 

 them nearly in the words of my informants, old Dyak 

 chiefs, who had lived all their lives in the places where 

 the animal is most abundant. The first of whom I in- 

 quired said : " No animal is strong enough to hurt the 



