26 
TEE ORANG-OUTAN. 
Though sufficiently docile and good-tempered when it has its own way, the young Orang 
ls rather subject to sudden gusts of passion when crossed in its wishes, and in such cases puts 
forth its powers with much effect. But the angry passion soon passes away, and the creature 
seems to be ashamed of its conduct. 
One of these animals which I watched for some little time, had a curiously wistful and 
piteous expression of countenance, and although very young, its face was wrinkled like that 
of an old man of eighty. The creature sat and looked out of its deeply set eyes, as if the cares 
of the nation rested on its shoulders. It was not very lively, but moved about among the 
branches with great ease. The form was not at all symmetrical, for the long arms, and feet, 
and hands seemed strangely out of proportion with its round, weakly-looking body, so that it 
involuntarily reminded the spectator of those long-legged, round-bodied spiders that are so 
common about old walls. 
The lips were very mobile, and the animal moved them when agitated by any emotions ; 
sometimes shooting them forward like the poutings of a petulant child, and sometimes drawing 
them together in strange wrinkles. The neck was but slightly indicated, and the whole animal 
presented an uncouth, goblin-like aspect. 
One of these animals that was brought to England by Dr. Abel, exhibited many curious 
habits. 
It had been taught to walk in an erect position, without supporting itself by extraneous 
help, but the erect posture was so ill adapted to its structure, that it could only preserve its 
balance by raising the arms over its head, and throwing them behind it, as has already been 
mentioned. The mode in which the head is united to the neck renders the equilibrium un- 
certain. 
This animal was tolerably omnivorous in appetite, for although its usual food consisted of 
fruits and bread, it was exceedingly fond of raw eggs, and would eat almost any kind of meat, 
whether dressed or raw. It would drink water, or milk, or beer, preferring the two latter 
liquids to any other. But it was also fond of wine, and was partial to mixtures of a still more 
potent character. Coffee and tea were favorite beverages with the animal, so that it displayed 
a decidedly civilized taste. 
As might be expected, while it was on board ship the sailors petted their companion after 
their wont, and it was quite familiar with them, showing no fear, and even occasionally 
indulging in a sham fight. But it was struck with unaccountable fright at some very harmless 
creatures that became inmates of the same vessel. They were only common turtles, perfectly 
incapable of doing damage, and destined for soup. But the mere sight of them terrified the 
Orang-outan to such an extent that it ran away to the mast-head, and, protruding its lips, 
uttered a series of strange sounds. A land tortoise affected the animal in a similar manner, as 
also did the sight of a number of men bathing and floating in the water. Perhaps there was 
some connection in the mind of the ape between the turtle and the cayman, which supposition 
is strengthened by the alarm caused by the bathers. I have known a common snail cause a 
great turmoil in a cage of monkeys, and there may possibly be some instinctive antipathy 
between monkeys and crawling animals. 
This singular emotion is worthy of notice, because it proves the fallacy of judging any 
animal to be the natural enemy of another, merely because the latter is terrified at its approach. 
Granting that the apes might occasionally have been prompted by their mischievous nature to 
meddle with the turtles, and to have been half -blinded by a sand-shower thrown from the 
turtle’s flippers, or have suffered a painful wound from the snap of a turtle’s sharp jaws, yet 
the little land-tortoise could not do damage. As we have just mentioned, even the presence 
of a poor garden-snail is a terror to many members of the monkey race. 
It is therefore evident that the antipathy does not exist only in some individuals which 
may have suffered by the reptiles, but that it is the common propensity of these strange 
animals. We can easily understand that an ape should display an agony of terror at the sight 
of a leopard, or a snake, for the one has teeth and claws, being also very fond of ape-flesh, and 
the other has fangs. But that the same animal should be just as frightened when it sees a 
turtle, a tortoise, or a man bathing, is indeed remarkable. 
