54 
APES AND MONKEYS. 
where the creature would comfortably ensconce itself in the folds of a sail for the 
night. “ In making his bed,” writes Dr. Abel, “ he used the greatest pains to 
remove everything out of his way that might render the surface on which he 
intended to lie uneven; and, having satisfied himself with this part of his arrange¬ 
ment, spread out the sail, and lying down upon it on his back, drew it over his 
body. Sometimes I preoccupied his bed, and teased him by refusing to give it up. 
On these occasions he would endeavour to pull the sail from under me or to force 
me from it, and would not rest until I had resigned it. If it was large enough for 
both he would quietly lie down by my side. If all the sails happened to be set, he 
would hunt about for some other covering, and either steal one of the sailor’s 
jackets or shirts that happened to be drying, or empty a hammock of its blankets. 
His food in Java was chiefly fruit, especially mangosteens, of which he was 
extremely fond. He also sucked eggs with voracity, and often employed himself 
in seeking them. On board ship his diet was of no definite kind; he ate readily of 
all kinds of meat, and especially raw meat; and was very fond of bread, but always 
preferred fruits when he could obtain them. His beverage in Java was water; on 
ship-board it was as diversified as his food. He preferred coflee and tea, but would 
readily take wine, and exemplified his attachment to spirits by stealing the 
captain’s brandy-bottle; since his arrival in London, he has preferred beer and 
milk to anything else, but drinks wine and other liquors. In his attempts to get 
food, he afforded us many opportunities of judging of his sagacity and disposition.” 
The continuation of Dr. Abel’s account is too long to be quoted at length, but he 
gives several other interesting particulars of the habits of the animal during the 
voyage from Java to England. Although habitually gentle, this orang could be 
excited into paroxysms of violent rage, which he expressed by opening his mouth, 
showing his teeth, and seizing and biting such persons as were in his vicinity. 
This animal survived its arrival in England for about fifteen months, when it fell a 
victim to the disease so fatal to its kindred in our climate. 
The ferocious nature of the orang, when angered or driven to bay, is confirmed 
both by Sir James Brooke and Mr. Wallace. An instance of this is related by the 
latter writer in the following words :—“ A few miles down the river there is a Dyak 
house, and the inhabitants saw a large orang feeding on the young shoots of a palm 
by the river-side. On being alarmed he retreated towards the jungle, which was 
close by, and a number of the men, armed with spears and choppers, ran out to 
intercept him. The man who was in front tried to run his spear through the 
animal’s body, but the mias seized it in his hands, and in an instant got hold of the 
man’s arm, which he seized in his mouth, making his teeth meet in the flesh above 
the elbow, which he tore and lacerated in a dreadful manner. Had not the others 
been close behind, the man would have been more seriously injured, if not killed, 
as he was quite powerless; but they soon destroyed the creature with their spears 
and choppers. The man remained ill for some time, and never fully recovered the 
use of his arm.” 
The same writer relates the history of a young orang which he received in 
Borneo when it was only a foot high. When first carried home this tiny creature 
took such a firm grasp of its new owner’s beard, that it was with difficulty it could 
be made to loose its hold. At the time of its capture there were no signs of teeth 
