154 GORILLAS AND CHIMPANZEES 



guests. He was served with such things as were 

 best suited to his Hking, and his demeanour was 

 such as to amuse all present. On proposing a toast, 

 all the guests beat with their hands upon the table, 

 and in this the chimpanzee joined with apparent 

 pleasure. After a few rounds of this kind, one of 

 the guests, occupying the seat next to him, failed to 

 respond with the usual beating ; the chimpanzee 

 observed the fact, turned upon the guest, and 

 began to claw, scream, and pound him on the 

 back and arm until the gentleman proceeded to 

 beat, whereupon the ape resumed his place and 

 joined in the applause. On this occasion he 

 acquitted himself with credit, but an hour later he 

 had fallen into disgrace by drinking beer until he 

 was actually drunk, when he awkwardly climbed off 

 the chair, crawled under the table, and went to 

 sleep. 



One of the clerks in the employ of the consul also 

 had a fair specimen of this same species. It was 

 a female, perhaps two years younger than the one 

 just described, but equally addicted to the habit of 

 drinking beer. It is the custom among people on 

 the coast to offer to a guest something to drink, and 

 on these occasions this young lady ape always ex- 

 pected to partake with others. If she was over- 

 looked in pouring out beer for others, she always set 

 up a complaint until she got her glass. If it was 

 not given to her, she would go from one to another, 

 holding out her hand and begging for a drink. If 

 she failed to secure it, she would watch her oppor- 



