©RANG OUTANG. 3 



The subject of this paper is a female, and was 

 procured in the Isle of Princes in the Gulf of 

 Guinea, from a native trader, who had carried it 

 thither from the banks of the Gaboon. It was re- 

 presented as a young animal, far inferior in size to 

 the specimens often seen in the recesses of its na- 

 tive forests ; and Captain Payne observed, that it 

 was at least eight or ten inches lower in stature than 

 another which he had seen in the Isle of Princes* 

 The natives of Gaboon informed him, that this spe- 

 cies attains the height of five or six feet ; that it 

 is a formidable antagonist to the elephant, and that 

 several of them will not scruple to attack the lion 

 and other beasts of prey, with clubs and stones. It 

 is dangerous for solitary individuals to travel through 

 the woods haunted by the Orang Outang ; and in- 

 stances were related to Captain Payne of Negro 

 girls being carried off by this animal, who have 

 sometimes escaped to human society, after having 

 been for years detained by their ravishers in a fright- 

 ful captivity. These reports confirm the narratives 

 of the early voyagers, who have often been suspect- 

 ed of exaggeration * ; and similar facts have been 

 recently stated very circumstantially by gentlemen 

 who have lived in Western Africa. The general 

 belief of the Negroes is, that this animal is rational, 

 and can speak, but cunningly avoids the exercise 



A 2 



* See Purchas' Pilgrims, Dampier, Battel, Schoutten, Fro 

 $cy } Bosnian, De la Brosse. &c. 



