SPECIES OF APES 269 



The ape known as IMafiika, which was exhibited in 

 Dresden in 1875, was also brought from the Loango 

 coast, and it is possible that this is the ape to which the 

 native name pongo really belonged. This specimen in 

 many respects conforms to the description of the ntyii 

 given, but the idea suggested by certain writers that 

 Mafuka was a cross between the gorilla and the chim- 

 panzee is not, to my mind, a tenable supposition. It 

 would be difficult to believe that two apes of different 

 species in a wild state would cross, but to believe that two 

 that belonged to different genera would do so is yet more 

 illogical. I may state, however, that some of the Esyira 

 people advance such a theory concerning the ntyii, but the 

 belief is not general, and those best skilled in woodcraft 

 regard them as distinct species. 



To quote, in " pidjin " English, the exact version of their 

 relationship, as it was given to me by my interpreter while 

 in that country, may be of interest to the reader. I may 

 remark, by way of explaining the nature of the "pidjin" 

 English, that it is a literal translation of the native mode 

 of thought into English words. The statement was : — 



" Ntyii 'e one ; njina 'e one ; all two 'e one, one. Ntyii 'e 

 one mudder ; njina 'e one mudder ; all two 'e one, one. 

 Ntyii 'e one fader ; njina 'e one fader. All two 'e one." 

 By which the native means to say that the ntyii has one 

 mother, and the njina has one mother, so that the two have 

 two mothers, but both have one father, therefore they are 

 half-brothers. 



The other version given in denial of this statement is as 

 follows : — 



