58 



A NEW HISTORY OF 



Acting under this impression, I asked permission 

 to enter the apartment in which it was confined ; 

 and permission was immediately granted by a 

 keeper in attendance. 



As I approached the orang-outang, he met me 

 about half way, and we soon entered into an 

 examination of each other's persons. Nothing- 

 struck me more forcibly than the uncommon 

 softness of the inside of his hands. Those of a 

 delicate lady, could not have shewn a finer texture. 

 He took hold of my wrist and fingered the blue 

 veins therein contained ; whilst I myself was lost 

 in admiration at the protuberance of his enormous 

 mouth. He most obligingly let me open it, and 

 thus, I had the best opportunity of examining his 

 two fine rows of teeth. 



We then placed our hands around each others 

 necks ; and we kept them there awhile, as though 

 we had really been excited by an impulse of 

 fraternal affection. It were loss of time in me, 

 were I to pen down an account of the many 

 gambols which took place betwixt us, and I might 

 draw too much upon the reader's patience. Suffice 

 it then to say, that the surrounding spectators 

 seemed wonderfully amused at the solemn farce, 

 before them. 



Whilst it was going on, I could not help 



