THE MONKEY FAMILY. 



57 



the superintendence of Mr. Mitchell, a gentleman 

 so well known for his talents in office, and for his 

 courtesy to visitors. Most amply indeed, was I 

 repaid for the trouble I had taken. 



The orang-outang was of wrinkled, and of 

 melancholy aspect, entirely devoid of any feature 

 bordering on ferocity. As I gazed through the 

 bars of his clean and spacious apartment, I 

 instantly called to my recollection, Sterne's affecting 

 description of his captive, who was confined for 

 life, and was sitting on the ground, " upon a little 

 straw, and was lifting up a hopeless eye to the 

 door ! " 



The more I inspected this shaggy prisoner from 

 Borneo, the more I felt convinced, that, in its own 

 nature, it could lay no manner of claim, to the 

 most remote alliance with the human race, saving 

 in a faint appearance of form, and in nothing more. 

 The winding up of the interview which I had with 

 it, confirmed me firmly in the opinion which T had 

 long entertained of his entire family. 



Having observed his mild demeanour, and his 

 placid countenance, I felt satisfied, that if ever the 

 animal had been subject to paroxysms of anger 

 when free in its native woods, those paroxysms 

 had been effectually subdued, since it had become 

 a captive under the dominion of civilized man. 



