154 APES AND MONKEYS 



kamba. She was in the hands of a generous friend, Mr. 

 Adolph Strohm, who presented her to me. I gave her to 

 Aaron as a wife and called her Elisheba, — after the name 

 of the wife of the great high-priest. Elisheba had been 

 captured on the head-waters of the Nguni River, in about 

 the same latitude that Aaron was found in, but more than 

 a hundred miles to the east of that point and a few minutes 

 north of it. I did not learn the history of her capture. 



It would be difficult to rind any two human beings more 

 unlike in taste and temperament than these two apes were. 

 Aaron was one of the most amiable of creatures ; he was 

 affectionate and faithful to those who treated him kindly ; 

 he was merry and playful by nature, and often evinced a 

 marked sense of humor ; he was fond of human society 

 and strongly averse to solitude or confinement. 



Elisheba was a perfect shrew. She often reminded me 

 of certain women that I have seen who had soured on the 

 world. She was treacherous, ungrateful, and cruel in every 

 thought and act ; she was utterly devoid of affection ; she 

 was selfish, sullen, and morose at all times ; she was often 

 vicious and always obstinate ; she was indifferent to caresses, 

 and quite as well content when alone as in the best of 

 company. It is true that she was in poor health, and had 

 been badly treated before she fell into my hands ; but she 

 was by nature endowed with a bad temper and depraved 

 instincts. 



It is not at all rare to see a vast difference of manners, 

 intelligence, and temperament among specimens that belong 

 to one species. In these respects they vary as much in 

 proportion to their mental scope as human beings do ; but 



