CHAPTER VII 



THE CAPTURE AND CHARACTER OF MOSES 



During my sojourn in the forest, I had a fine, 

 young chimpanzee, which was of ordinary intelli- 

 gence, and of more than ordinary interest, because 

 of his history. 



I gave him the name Moses, not in derision of the 

 historic Israelite of that name, but because of the 

 circumstances of his capture and life. 



He was found all alone in a wild papyrus swamp 

 of the Ogowe River. No one knew who his parents 

 were, or how he ever came to be left in that dismal 

 place. The low bush in which he was crouched 

 when discovered was surrounded by water, and the 

 poor little waif was cut off from the adjacent dry 

 land. 



As the native who captured him approached, the 

 timid little ape tried to climb up among the vines 

 above him, and escape, but the agile hunter seized 

 him before he could do so. At first the chimpanzee 

 screamed, and struggled to get away, because he 

 had perhaps never before seen a man, but when he 

 found that he was not going to be hurt, he put his 

 frail arms around his captor, and clung to him as a 



