6. There must be something exceedingly wild and unearthly in the appearance of one of these apes, so demonlike in hideousness, in the solemn recesses of the dark primeval forest. The terrors with which it is invested are more than imaginary. The young athletic negroes, in their ivory hunts, well know the prowess of the gorilla. He does not, like the lion, sullenly retreat on seeing them, but swings himself rapidly down to the lower branches, courts the conflict, and clutches at the foremost of his enemies. His green eyes flash with rage, and the hideous aspect of his visage is increased by the thick and prominent brows drawn spasmodically up and down, with the hair erect, causing a horrible and fiendish scowl. Weapons are torn from their possessors' grasp, and gun-barrels are bent by the powerful hands and vice-like teeth of the enraged brute.

7. Dreadful is the sudden and unexpected fate which is often inflicted by him. It has happened that two negroes have been walking in a woodland path, unsuspicious of evil. Suddenly one misses his companion, or turns to see him drawn up in the air with a convulsed choking cry, and in a few minutes dropped to the ground a strangled corpse. The terrified survivor gazes up, and meets the grin and glare of the fiendish giant, who, watching his opportunity, had suddenly put down his immense hind-hand, caught the wretch by the neck with resistless power, and dropped him only when he ceased to struggle. Surely a horrible improvised gallows this!

GOSSE.

7

1. WHILE residing in the island of Java, I desired to secure a living specimen of this interesting animal, which many naturalists deem our nearest relation. They are rare, however, being confined to Borneo, Sumatra, and the neighboring islands. They are also difficult to capture, as they make their home in the thick forests, a fact that gives rise to the name orang-outang, meaning in the native language "wild man of the woods."

2. My wish was at last gratified by the capture of a fine young animal, which I domiciled under a tamarind-tree near my dwelling. There it made a bed, composed or

small interlaced branches covered with leaves. On this it passed the greater portion of its time, looking out for the people who carried fruit, and, when they approached, descending to obtain a share. At sunset it settled itself for the night, and got up at dawn to visit its friends, who always welcomed it.

3. When I was about to sail for England, I had the young orang taken on board ship. He was secured by an iron chain to a ring-bolt; but he unfastened it and ran away, when, finding the trailing chain an incumbrance, he threw it over his shoulder. As he released himself in this manner several times, I decided to allow him to go at large. He became very familiar with the sailors, played with them, and knew how to escape when pursued, by darting into inaccessible parts of the rigging.

4. At first he usually slept on one of the upper yards, after enveloping himself in a sail. In making his bed he took the greatest care to remove everything that might disturb the smooth surface of the place on which he intended to lie. After satisfying his tastes in this part of his domestic arrangements, he lay down on his back, bringing the sail over the surface of his body. Frequently, to tease him, I have beforehand taken possession of his bed. In such a case he would endeavor to pull the sail from beneath me, or try to expel me from his resting-place, and would not be satisfied until he had succeeded. If the bed proved to be large enough for two, he slept quietly beside me. When all the sails were unfurled, he rambled here and there in search of some other couch, stealing either the sailors' jackets and shirts which were hung out to dry, or robbing some hammock of bed-clothes.

5. One of the sailors was the special friend of the orang, and shared his meals with him. I must say, however, that the orang-outang at times stole the grog and biscuit of his benefactor, who had taught him to eat with a spoon. He might have been seen more than once at the door of his protector's cabin tasting his coffee, nowise embarrassed by the presence of those who were observing him, and affecting a grotesquely serious air, a perfect caricature of human nature.

6. This animal was a great glutton. He would sometimes chase a person along the vessel to obtain a dainty, and if his desire was not satisfied he would break out into a violent rage. Sometimes I tied an orange to the end of a string, and lowered it to the deck from the masthead. Every time the orang tried to seize it, I sharply pulled it up out of his reach. After having been several times deceived

in his attempts, he changed his tactics. Assuming an air of indifference, he ascended the rigging, and, making a sudden spring, seized the cord that suspended the coveted prize. If it happened that he was again deceived in this maneuver through the rapidity of my movements, he showed symptoms of despair, retiring into a corner, and giving way to grief.

7. Since our arrival in Great Britain he has acquired two habits which he certainly never practiced on board ship, where his education, I ought to say, had been very much neglected. One of these is walking erect; the second is to kiss his keeper.

8. A gravity mingled with gentleness and approaching to melancholy is the dominant expression in his physi-ognomy. He practices forgiveness of injuries, and most frequently contents himself with avoiding those persons whom he thinks disposed to do him harm. But he strongly attaches himself to people who show him any affection, loving to sit close beside them and take their hands between his lips.

9. He willingly eats all kinds of meat, especially raw flesh, and though very fond of bread, always prefers fruit when procurable. In Java his ordinary beverage was water, but on board ship his drink was as varied as his food. One day he showed a taste for strong liquors by stealing a bottle of brandy belonging to the captain. Since his arrival in London, though he drinks wine, he prefers beer and milk to all other fluids.

DR. ABEL CLARK.

1. AN animal which often rendered me essential services, whose presence frequently banished from my memory the most bitter and harassing reflections, whose simple and touching affection even seemed on some occasions to anticipate my wishes, was a baboon of the species so common at the Cape of Good Hope, and so well known by the name of "Bavian." It was very familiar, and attached itself particularly to me.

2. I conferred upon it the office of my taster-general; and when we met with any fruits or roots unknown to my Hottentots, we never ventured to eat them till they had been presented to, and pronounced upon by, Kees. If he ate, we fed upon them; if he refused to eat them, we did likewise. The baboon has this quality in particular, which distinguishes him from the lower animals, and approximates him more nearly to man: he is equally endowed with curiosity and gluttony; he tastes everything you give him, and handles everything that comes in his way.

3. But in Kees I valued a still more precious quality. He was a most trusty guardian. Night or day, it mattered not, the most distant approach of danger roused him to instant watchfulness; and his cries and gestures invariably warned us of any unusual occurrence long before my dogs got scent of it. Indeed, these otherwise faithful guardians became so habituated to his voice, and depended so entirely