APE 
APE 
which exceeded the length of that on the body. 
The lines in the pahns- of tlie hands were plainly 
diftinguifliable; and, at the tips of the fingers, 
tltofe Ipiral ones common to man were diflinftly 
marked: the palms of the hands, however, were 
as long as the foles of the feet; and the toes 
were of the fame length as the fingers. The mid- 
dle toe was longeft; and the confonriation of the 
whole foot differed eflentially from that of the hu- 
man fpecies. The hinder-feet being thus formed, 
the animal often ufed them as hands ; and, on the 
contrary, fometimes uied it's hands inftead of it's 
feet. The breafts appeared fmall and fhrivelled, 
but exaftlylike thofe of a man: the navel, too, ap- 
peared very fair, and well difpofed ; being neither 
harder, nor more prominent, than it is ufually feen 
in children. 
Such is the do6lor's defcription of this extraor- 
dinary animal ; to which little has been added by 
fucceeding obfervers, except that the colour of the 
hair is often found to vary : and in that drawn and 
defcribed by Edwards it was of a reddifh brown. 
A pifture fo nearly refembling that of the human 
fpecies, naturally leads us to expert a correfpond- 
ing mind ; and certain it is, that fuch of thefe ani- 
mals as have been feen in Europe, difplay a degree 
of imitation beyond what any quadruped is ca- 
pable of attaining. The Ourang Outang of Ty- 
fon was a gentle, fond, and inofi'enfive creature. 
During it's paffage to England, it would embrace 
llich of the failors as paid it any particular atten- 
tion with the utmoft tendernefs ; opening their bo- 
foms, and clafping it's arms about them. It re- 
garded monkies, and even Apes of a lower fpecies, 
with the moft irreconcileable averfion ; ftudioufly 
avoiding the place where they were kept in the 
fame veflel, and fcemingly regarding itfeif as a very 
fuperior creature. After it had for fome time been 
accufromed to the ufe of cloaths, it became very 
fond of them; and would itfeif put on part without 
any help, carrying the reft to fome of the fliip's 
company for afiiftance. It would lie in bed, place 
it's head on the pillow, and pull the cloaths up- 
wards to cover itfeif, in the fame manner as a man. 
But the animal feen by Edwards, and defcribed 
by Buffon, {hewed a ftill fuperior degree of faga- 
city. It walked on two legs, even when it carried 
a burden; it's air being always melancholy, and 
it's whole deportment tinftured with gravity. Dif- 
fimilar to the baboon or m.onkey, whofe motions 
are violent, and their appetites capricious; who 
are fond of mifchief, and fubmiffive only through 
fear; this animal was deliberate in it's motions, 
and a look was fufficient to intimidate it. ' I have 
feen it,' fays Buffon, ' give it's hand to fhew the 
company to the door. I have obferved it fit at 
table, unfold it's napkin, wipe it's lips, make ufe 
of the fpoon and fork to carry it's victuals to it's 
mouth, pour out it's drink into a glafs, join 
glalTes when invited, take a cup and faucer and 
place them on the table,, put in fugar, pour out 
tea, and leave it to cool before drinking; and all 
this at the flighteft intimation from it's mafter, and 
frequently without being required.' It was docile 
and inoffenfive ; approached Itrangers with refpefl ; 
and feemed rather to expe6t careffes, than difpofed 
to offer injuries. It was particularly fond of fugar- 
ed comfi.ts, which every one readily gave it; and, 
having a defluxion on the breaft, fo much fweet 
food contributed to increafe it's malady, and fliort- 
en the period of it's exiftence. It continued in Pa- 
ris only one fummer; and, being brought to Eng- 
land, died a fhort time^after in London. It eat in-' 
difcriminately of all things ; but feemed to preftr 
dry and ripe fruits : it would drink wine in fmall 
quantities; but gladly exchanged it for milk, tea, 
or any other fweet beverage 
Such have been the habits and difpofitions of 
thefe animaJ-S when brought into Europe : hut many 
of thefe^ extraordinaiy inftances of docility were 
probably the effe£ls of education, and we are not 
informed how long the inftruftions they received 
for this purpofe were continued. We learn, how- 
ever, from another account, that they take but a 
very fhort time to arrive at a great degree of imi- 
tative perfection. 
Le BrofTe bought two young ones, only a year 
old, of a negro; and thefe, at that early age, dif- 
covered an aftonifhing power of imitation : even 
then they fat at table like men ; eat of every thing 
indifcriminately; made ufe of knives, forks, and 
fpoons, both to eat tlieir meat and help themfelves, 
with extraordinary adroitnefs and decency; and 
drank wine, and other liquors. When carried on 
fhipboard, they made figns to the cabbin-boys, ex- 
prelTive of tkeir wants ; and,whenever rhc lads neg- 
lefted attenciing them, they fell irito vioknt paf- 
fions, feized them by the arms, bit them., and kept 
them down. The male was fea-fick, and required 
attendance like a human creature: he v/as even 
tv/ice bled; and ever afterwards, when he found 
himklf difordered, held out his arm, as deiirous 
of being relieved by bleeding. 
Pryard relates that, in the country of Sierra Le- 
ona, in Africa, there are a kind of Apes called 
baris, which are ftrong and mufcular; and, being 
properly trained from their youth, can even pound 
at a m.ortar, and in other refpefts aft as very ufe- 
ful domeftics. They ufually walk upright ; and, 
going to the river for water, carry it in little pitch- 
ers on their heads ; which, however, muft be care- 
fully taken from them at their return, as they other- 
wife let them fall, and let up a melanclioly cry and 
lamentation on beholding die fragments. 
L.a Compte gives nearly a fimilar account of an 
Ape which he brought from the Straits of Molucca. 
It walked on it's two hind-feet, a litde bent like 
thofe of a dog learning to dance- and m,ade ufe of 
it's hands and arms in the fame manner as the hu- 
man fpecies. It's vifage was not more difagreeable 
than that of a Hottentot; but the body was entirely 
covered with woolly hair of different colours. It 
cried like a child; and all it's external a6tions fo 
much refembled thofe of the hum_an race, and the 
paffions v/ere fo lively and fignificant, that a dumb 
man could hardly exprefs his conceptions and de- 
fircs with more effeft : it had alfo that expreffion of 
pafTion, or ioy, which we often fee in children;, 
ftamping with it's feet, and ftriking them againfl: 
the ground, to fhew it's fpirit, when rcfufed any 
thing it greatly defired. ' Though theie animals,' 
continues La Compte, * are very big, (for what J 
law were four feet high) their agility is incredible.. 
It is a pleafure beyond exprefiion to fee them' run up> 
the tackling of a fhip, where they fometimes play^ 
as if they had a knack of vaulting peculiar to them- 
felves, or as if they had been hired as rope-dancers- 
to divert the company.. Sometimes, fufpended b/ 
one arm, they poife themfelves, and then turn all of 
a fudden round about a rope with as much velocity 
as a wheel or a fling put in motion: at others, hold- 
ing the rope fuccefliveiy with their long fingers, and 
letting tlieir whole bodies fall into t-he air, they run 
full fpeed from one end to the other, and come 
back 
