4.33 THE PHILOSOPHY 



two feet. Among others, he remarked a female, who feemed to 

 have a fenfe of modefty, who covered her face with her hands whea 

 men approached her with whom fhe was unacquainted, who wept, 

 groaned, and feemed to want nothing of humanity but the faculty 

 of fpeech *. Many other furprlfing adions performed by this ani- 

 mal are recorded by different voyagers, which it is unneceffary to 

 repeat, efpecially as we have a fufficlent number of fads attefted by 

 unequivocal evidence. The Count de Buffon, with much probabi- 

 lity, confiders what are called the large and fmall orang-outangs to 

 be the fame fpecies of animals ; for thofe hitherto brought to Eu- 

 rope were very young, and had not acquired one half of their fta- 

 ture. 



* The orang-outang,' fays Buffon, * which I faw, walked always 

 on two feet, even when carrying things of confiderable weight. 

 His air was melancholy, his movements meafured, his difpofitions 

 gentle, and very different from thofe of other apes. He had nei- 

 ther the impatience of the Barbary ape, the malicioufnefs of the 

 baboon, nor the extravagance of the monkeys. It may be alledged 

 that he had the benefit of inftrudion j but the apes, which I fhall 

 compare with him, were educated in the fame manner. Signs and 

 words were alone fufficient to make our orang-outang ad : But 

 the baboon required a cudgel, and the other apes a whip ; for none 

 of them would obey without blows. I have feen this animal pre- 

 fent his hand to condud the people who came to vifit him, and 

 walk as gravely along with them as if he had formed a part of the 

 company. I have feen him fit down at table, unfold his towel, 

 wipe his lips, ufe a fpoon or a fork to carry the viduals to his 

 mouth, pour his liquor into a glafs, and make it touch that of the 

 perfon who drank along with him. When invited to drink tea, 



* he 



* Jac. Eont. Hift. Kat. Ind. cap. 32. 



