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greater instinct than any other animal of the 
brute creation. When the negroes make a fire 
in the woods, this animal comes near and warms 
himself by the blaze. However, he has not skill 
enough to keep the flame alive by feeding it 
with fuel. They go together in companies ; and 
if they happen to meet one of the human spe- 
cies, remote from succour, they generally show 
him no mercy. They even attack the elephant, 
which they beat with their clubs, and oblige to 
leave that part of the forest which they claim 
as their own. It is impossible to take any 
of those dreadful creatures alive, for they are 
so strong, that ten men would not be a match 
for one of them. None of this kind, therefore, 
are taken, except when very young, and these 
but rarely, when the female happens to leave 
them behind ; for in general they keep clung to 
the breast, and adhere both with their legs and 
arms. From the same traveller we learn, that 
when one of these animals dies, the rest cover 
the body with a quantity of leaves and branches. 
They sometimes, however, show mercy to the 
human kind. A negro boy, that was taken by 
one of these, and carried into the woods, con- 
tinued there a whole year, without receiving any 
injury. From another traveller we learn, that 
these animals often attempt to surprise the female 
negroes as they go into the woods, and frequently 
keep them against their wills for the pleasure 
of their company, feeding them very plentifully 
all the time. He assures us that he knew a 
woman of Loango that had lived among thesg 
animals fo* three years. 
