98 



GORILLAS AND CHIMPANZEES 



I must here take occasion to mention one incident 

 in the Hfe of Moses that never perhaps occurred 

 before in the life of any other chimpanzee, and 

 while it may not be of scientific value, it is at least 

 amusing. 



While living in the jungle, I received a letter 

 enclosing a contract to be signed by myself and a 

 witness. Having no means of finding a witness to 

 sign the paper, I called Moses from the bushes, 

 placed him at the table, gave him a pen and had 

 him sign the document as witness. He did not 

 write his name himself, as he had not yet mastered 

 the art of writing, but he made his cross mark 

 between the names, as many a good man had done 

 before him. I wrote in the blank the name, 



His 



Moses X Ntyigo " 

 mark ; 



the cross mark omitted, and had him with his 

 own hand make the cross as it is legally done by 

 all people who cannot write. With this signature 

 the contract was returned in good faith to stand the 

 test of the law courts of civilisation, and thus for the 

 first time in the history of the race a chimpanzee 

 signed his name. 



When I prepared to start on a journey across the 

 Esyira country it was not practicable for me to take 

 Moses along, so I arranged to leave him in charge 

 of a missionary. Shortly after my departure the 

 man was taken with fever, and the chimpanzee was 



