78 



GORILLAS AND CHIMPANZEES 



I took great care of him, and devoted much time to 

 the study of his natural manners, and to improving 

 them as much as his nature would allow. 



I built him a neat little house within a few feet of 

 my cage. It was enclosed with a thin cloth, and 

 had a curtain hung at the door, to keep out mos- 

 quitoes and other insects. It was supplied with 

 plenty of soft, clean leaves, and some canvas bed- 

 clothing. It was covered over with a bamboo roof, 

 and suspended a few feet from the ground, so as to 

 keep out the ants. 



Moses soon learned to adjust the curtain, and go 

 to bed without my aid. He would lie in bed in the 

 morning until he heard me or the boy stirring about 

 the cage, when he would poke his little black head 

 out, and begin to jabber for his breakfast. Then he 

 would climb out, and come to the cage to see what 

 was going on. 



He was not confined at all, but quite at liberty to 

 go about in the forest, climb the trees and bushes, 

 and have a good time of it. He was jealous of the 

 boy, and the boy was jealous of him, especially 

 when it came to a question of eating. Neither of 

 them seemed to want the other to eat anything that 

 they mutually liked, and I had to act as umpire in 

 many of their disputes on that grave subject, which 

 seemed to be the central thought of both of them. 



I frequently allowed Moses to dine with me, and 

 I never knew him to refuse, or to be late in coming 

 on such occasions, but his table etiquette was not 

 of the best order. I gave him a tin plate and a 



