54 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
attain, and commanded a view of tlie barrack-yard as well as the interior of my bed-room ; but at sun- 
set he would descend, enter a washing-tub, which he had of his own accord chosen as a sleeping-place, 
and remain there all night ; as soon, however, as the sun rose, he would never fail to occupy his 
favourite position on the window-ledge. From this, I should say, that trees are ascended by the 
Chimpanzee merely for observation or food, and that they live principally on the ground. Bamboo, at 
the time of purchase, appeared to be about fourteen months old, and from what I could learn from the 
natives, they do not reach their full growth till between nine and ten years of age; which, if true, 
brings them extremely near the human species, as the boy or girl of West Africa, at thirteen or four- 
teen years old, is quite as much a man or woman as those of nineteen or twenty in our more northern 
clime. Their height, when full grown, is said to be between four and five feet ; indeed, I was credibly 
informed that a male Chimpanzee, which had been shot in the neighbourhood and brought into Free 
Town, measured four feet five inches in length, and was so heavy as to form a very fail' load for two 
men, who carried him on a pole between them. The natives say that in their wild state their strength 
is enormous, and that they have seen them snap boughs off the trees with the greatest apparent ease, 
which the united strength of two men could scarcely bend. The Chimpanzee is, without doubt, to be 
found in all the countries, from the banks of the Gambia in the north to the kingdom of Congo in the 
south, as the natives of all the intermediate parts seem to be perfectly acquainted w ith them. From my 
own experience, T can state that the low shores of the Bullom country, situated on the northern shores 
of the river near Sierra Leone, are infested by them in numbers quite equal to the commonest species 
of Monkeys. I consider these animals to be gregarious; for when visiting the rice farms of the Chief 
Dalla Mohammadoo, on the Bullom shore, their cries plainly indicated the vicinity of a troop, as the 
noise heard could not have been produced by less than eight or ten of them. The natives also affirmed 
that they always travel in strong bodies, armed with sticks, which they use with much dexterity. 
They are exceedingly watchful ; and the first one who discovers the approach of a stranger utters a 
protracted cry, much resembling that of a human being in the greatest distress. The first time I 
heard it I was much startled ; the animal was apparently not more than thirty paces distant, but had 
it been but five T could not have seen it, from the tangled nature of the jungle, and I certainly con- 
ceived that such sounds could only have proceeded from a human being, who hoped to gain assistance 
by his cries from some terrible and instant death. The native who was with me laid his hand upon 
my shoulder, and pointing suspiciously to the bush, said, ‘ Massa, Baboo live there ! ’ and in a few 
minutes the wood appeared alive with them, their cries resembling the barking of dogs. My guide 
informed me that the cry first heard was to inform the troop of my approach, and that they would all 
immediately leave the trees, or any exalted situation that might expose them to view, and seek the 
bush; he also showed evident fear, and entreated me not to proceed any further in that direction. The 
plantations of bananas, pampaws, and plantains, which the natives usually intermix with their rice, 
constituting the favourite food of the Chimpanzee, accounts for their being so frequent in the neigh- 
bourhood of rice fields. The difficulty of procuring live specimens of this genus arises principally, I 
should say, from the superstitions of the natives concerning them, who believe they possess the power 
of 1 witching.’ ” 
A most interesting little male Chimpanzee was obtained from the natives of the Gambia coast some 
years since, and became famous in London for its great intelligence and human like conduct. His mother 
was shot when he was about a twelvemonth old, about 120 miles from the sea; and after being well taken 
care of lie was sent to England on board ship, where he had a free range of the lagging and decks, and 
where lie made himself much liked. A distinguished zoologist, Mr. Broderip, visited him in the Zoolo- 
gical Gardens after he had undergone some tuition, and describes what he saw as follows : — 
“ I saw him for the first time in the kitchen belonging to the keepers’ apartments, dressed in a 
little Guernsey shirt, or banyan jacket. He was sitting cliild-like in the lap of a good old woman, to 
whom he clung whenever she made show of putting him down. His aspect was mild and passive, but 
that of a little withered old man, and his large eyes, hairless and crimpled visage, and man-like ears, 
surmounted by the black hair of his head, rendered the resemblance very striking, notwithstanding the 
depressed nose and the projecting mouth. He had already become very fond of his good old nurse, 
and she had evidently become attached to her nursling, although they had only been acquainted foi 
three or four days, and it was with difficulty that he permitted her to go away to do her work in 
