THE BABOONS 247 



proceeding on board my steamer. But before 

 doing so, I stole quietly to the tree whereunder 

 Joao was tethered, very gently unfastened his 

 detaining bonds, and — fled. We never met again. 



This animal, as I have stated elsewhere, 

 belonged to the smaller yellow variety, but even 

 so he was almost it not quite as big as a good-sized 

 mastiff, and his strength, activity and energy 

 were boundless. He certainly seemed to entertain 

 a great affection for me, a circumstance which I 

 have long looked back upon as a somewhat 

 doubtful compliment, and whilst barely tolerant 

 of the native and other servants, would welcome 

 my approach with unmistakable signs of the most 

 touching pleasure. He was quite full grown, but 

 displayed none of the mature chacma's morose- 

 ness of disposition on arriving at that stage of 

 life's journey ; on the contrary, Joao was never 

 tired of romping and gambolling, and I have not 

 seldom felt inclined to attribute most of his more 

 regrettable irregularities to that feeling of joie de 

 vivre which, during youth, renders the commission 

 of sins so attractive an occupation to most of us 

 during the all too fleeting passage of that bright 

 period. 



But I cannot pass from my account of the 

 baboons without reference to the one weak spot 

 in their claim to intelligence — the one blot on 

 their reasoning powers. That is the stupid, 

 unnecessary manner in which they allow them- 

 selves to be captured. When first I was told of 

 this method of catching baboons I could not 

 refrain from suspecting that an attempt was being 



