42 



BORNEO— THE ORANG-UTAN. 



it to be a rather large one, very high up on a tall tree. 

 At the second shot it fell rolling o\'er, but almost imine- 

 (liately got np again and began to climb. At a third sliot 

 it fell dead. This was also a full-grown female, and while 

 preparing to carry it home, we found a young one face 

 downwards in the bog. This little creature was only about 

 a foot long, and bad evidently been hanging to its mother 

 when she first fell Luckily it did not appear to have 

 been wounded, and after we had cleaned the mud out of 

 its mouth it began to cry out, and seemed quite strong and 

 active. While caixying it home it got its bands in ray 

 beard, and grasped so tightly that I had great difficulty iu 

 getting free, for the fingers are habitually bent inwards at 

 the la.^t joint so as to form complete hooks. At this time 

 it bad not a single tooth, but a few days afterwards it cut 

 its two lower front teeth. Unfortunately, I had no milk 

 to give it, as neither Malays Chinese nor Dyaks ever use 

 the article, and I in vain inquired for any female animal 

 that could suckle my little infant, I was tlierefore obliged 

 to give it rice-water from a bottle with a quill in the 

 corkj which after a few trials it learned to suck very welL 

 This was very meagre diet, and the little creature did imX 

 thrive well on it, although I added sugar and cocoa-rmt 

 milk occasionally, to make it more nourishing. When 

 I put my finger in its mouth it sucked with great 

 vigour, drawing in its cheeks with all its might in the 

 vain effort to extract some radk, and only after per- 

 severing a long time would it give up in disgust, and 

 set up a scream very like that of a baby in similiir 

 circumstances. 



When bandied or nursed, it was very quiet and con- 

 tented, but wiicn laid du\\'n by itself woidd invariably ciy; 

 and for the first few nights was very restlei^s imd noisy, 1 

 fitted up a little box for a cradle, with a soft mat for it to 

 lie ujiou, which was changed and washed evei7 day ; and 

 I soon found it necessary to wash the little Alias as well 

 After I had done so a few times, it came to bke tlic 

 operation, and as soon as it was dirty would begin ciying, 

 and not leave off till I took it out and carried it to the 

 spout, when it immediately became quiet, although it 

 would wince a little at the first rush of tlie cold water 



