4 INTRODUCTION. 
the almoft certain fign of fuccefs, I beheld my 
pretty colled:ion of infeds increafe daily un- 
der my hands. I fet the higheft value up- 
on it, and efleemed it beyond meafure. As 
I had been the fole creator of it, the reader 
may eafily guefs how much fuperior I con- 
fidered it to that of my parents. Pride, which 
is blind, makes the mxafterpieces of folly and 
genius march hand in hand. 
Entirely occupied with my enjoyments, 
I had never yet perceived that fome obftacle 
always occurs to prevent the fuccefs of every 
enterprize. 
In one of our excurfions we had killed a 
female ape, of that fpecies which in the 
country are called Baboons. As fhe carried 
on her back a young one, w^hich had not 
been wounded, we took them both along 
with us; and, when we returned to the plan- 
tation, my ape had not quitted the Ihoul- 
ders of its mother. It clung fo clofely to 
them, that I was obliged to have the affift- 
ance of a negro to difengage it ; but fcarcely 
was it feparated from her, when, hke a bird, 
it darted upon a wooden block that flood 
near, covered with my father's peruke, which 
• 
It 
