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diff --git a/old/44191.txt b/old/44191.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..88635df --- /dev/null +++ b/old/44191.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6316 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Gorillas & Chimpanzees, by R. L. Garner + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Gorillas & Chimpanzees + +Author: R. L. Garner + +Release Date: November 16, 2013 [EBook #44191] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GORILLAS & CHIMPANZEES *** + + + + +Produced by Sharon Joiner, Charlie Howard, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + +Gorillas & Chimpanzees + + + + +[Illustration: R. L. Garner.] + + + + + Gorillas & Chimpanzees + + By + R. L. Garner + + _Illustrated_ + + London + Osgood, McIlvaine & Co. + 45 Albemarle Street, W. + 1896 + + + + + _To_ + MY FAITHFUL AND GENEROUS FRIEND + MR. ADOLPH STROHM + WHO HAS GIVEN ME + LIBERAL AID AND UNSWERVING ENCOURAGEMENT + AND TO MY KIND AND STEADFAST FRIEND + MR. JAMES A. DEEMIN + WITH WHOM I SHARED SOME OF THE HARDSHIPS OF TRAVEL + AND A FEW OF THE JOYS OF THE HUNT + THIS VOLUME IS + GRATEFULLY DEDICATED BY + ITS AUTHOR + + + + +PREFACE + + +The present work is the natural product of some years devoted to a +study of the speech and habits of monkeys. It has led up to the special +study of the great apes. The matter contained herein is chiefly a +record of the facts tabulated during recent years in that field of +research. + +The aim in view is to convey to the casual reader a more correct idea +than now prevails concerning the physical, mental, and social habits of +these apes. + +The favourable conditions under which the writer has been placed, in +the study of these animals in the freedom of their native jungle, have +not hitherto been enjoyed by any other student of Nature. + +A careful aim to avoid all technical terms and scientific phraseology +has been adhered to, and the subject treated in a simple style. Tedious +details are relieved by an ample supply of anecdotes taken from the +writer's own observations, and most of them are the acts of his own +pets or of apes in a wild state. The author has refrained from rash +deductions and abstruse theories, but has sought to place the animals +here treated in their true light, believing that to dignify the apes is +not to degrade man, but to exalt him even more. + +It is hoped that a more perfect knowledge of these animals may bring +man into closer fellowship and deeper sympathy with Nature, and cause +him to realise that all creatures think and feel in some degree, +however small. + + THE AUTHOR. + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAP. PAGE + PREFACE vii + I. MAN AND APE COMPARED 1 + II. CAGED IN AN AFRICAN JUNGLE 14 + III. DAILY LIFE AND SCENES IN THE JUNGLE 22 + IV. THE CHIMPANZEE 36 + V. PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, AND MENTAL QUALITIES 46 + VI. THE SPEECH OF CHIMPANZEES 66 + VII. THE CAPTURE AND CHARACTER OF MOSES 76 + VIII. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF MOSES 92 + IX. AARON 102 + X. AARON AND ELISHEBA 116 + XI. THE DEATH OF AARON AND ELISHEBA 136 + XII. OTHER CHIMPANZEES 144 + XIII. OTHER KULU-KAMBAS 176 + XIV. GORILLAS 188 + XV. HABITS OF THE GORILLA 213 + XVI. OTHELLO AND OTHER GORILLAS 234 + XVII. OTHER APES 252 + XVIII. THE TREATMENT OF APES IN CAPTIVITY 262 + + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + + + _Page_ + _Portrait of R. L. Garner_ _Frontispiece_ + _Waiting and Watching in the Cage_ _To face_ 16 + _Starting for a Stroll_ " 22 + _Preparing for the Night_ " 30 + _In the Jungle_ " 42 + _A Stroll in the Jungle_ " 54 + _The Edge of the Jungle_ " 62 + _Trading Station in the Interior_ " 102 + _Plain and Edge of the Forest_ " 108 + _A Native Canoe_ " 118 + _Aaron and Elisheba_ " 132 + _Native Village at Moile--Interior of Nyanza_ " 146 + _Consul II. Riding a Tricycle_ " 164 + _Consul II. In Full Dress_ " 170 + _Native Village at Glass Gaboon_ " 180 + _Natives Skinning a Gorilla_ " 190 + _Skulls of Gorillas--Front and Side Views_ 199-202 + _Young Gorilla Walking_ _To face_ 208 + _Native Carrier Boy_ " 222 + _Native Women of the Interior_ " 230 + + + + +GORILLAS AND CHIMPANZEES + + + + +CHAPTER I + +MAN AND APE COMPARED + + +Monkeys have always been a subject of idle interest to old and young; +but they have usually served to amuse the masses more than to instruct +them, until within recent years. + +Now that science has brought them within the field of careful research, +and made them an object of serious study, it has invested them with a +certain dignity in the esteem of mankind, and imparted to them a new +aspect among animals. + +There is no other creature that so charms and fascinates the beholder +as do these little effigies of the human race. The simple and the wise +are alike impressed with their human look and manner; children and +patriarchs with equal delight watch them with surprise; but now that +the search-light of science is being thrown into every nook and crevice +of nature, human interest in them is multiplied many fold, while the +savants of all civilised lands are struggling with the problem of +their possible relationship to man. + +Pursuant to the desire of learning as much as possible about their +natural habits, faculties, and resources, they are being studied from +every available point of view, and every characteristic compared in +detail to the corresponding one in man. Hence, in order to appreciate +more fully the value of the lessons to be drawn from the contents of +this volume, we must know the relative planes in the scale of nature +that man and monkeys occupy, wherefore we shall begin our task by +comparing them in a general way; but as the scope of this work is +restricted mainly to the great apes, the comparison will likewise be +confined to that subject, except in so far as to define the relations +of man and ape to monkeys. + +Since monkeys differ among themselves so widely, it is evident that +all of them cannot in the same degree resemble man. And as the degree +of interest in them as a subject of comparative study is approximately +measured by the degree of their likeness to man, it is apparent that +all cannot be regarded as of equal interest. But since each forms an +integral part of the scale of nature, they are of equal importance in +tracing out the continuity of the order to which they belong. + +The vast family of simians has perhaps the widest range of types of +any single family of mammals. Beginning with the great apes, which so +closely resemble man in size, form and structure, they descend by +degrees along the scale till they end in the little marmosets, which +are almost on the level of rodents. But the descent is so gradual +that it is difficult to draw a sharp line of demarcation at any point +between the two extremes. There is, however, now an effort being made +to separate this family into smaller groups, but the lines between them +must be dim and wavering, and the literature of the past has a tendency +to retard the effort. + +We shall not digress from the trend of our subject, however, at this +time, to discuss the problems with which zoology may have to contend in +the future, but will accept the current system and proceed. + +All the varied types that belong to the simian family are, in the +common order of speech, known as _monkeys_, but the term thus used is +so broad in its meaning as to include all the forms of that vast group, +wherefore it is vague and obscure, for some of these resemble man more +than they resemble each other. The name should only be applied to those +having tails and short faces, but there is a small group, which have +no tails at all, that are properly known as _apes_. While they are +all simians, they are not all monkeys. It is with this small group, +without tails, that we propose chiefly to deal. We select them because +of their likeness to man, and having noted the similitude, the result +may be compared with other types of the same order. There are only four +of these apes, but as a whole they resemble man in so many essential +details that they are called "anthropoid," or "man-like apes." They +differ from each other in certain respects, almost as much as any one +of them differs from man. The four apes alluded to, are the chimpanzee, +the gorilla, the orang and the gibbon. + +As the skeleton is the framework of the physical structure, it will +serve as the basis upon which to build up the comparison, and as the +chimpanzee is the nearest approach to man, we select him as the highest +type of the simian, and use him as the standard. + +The skeleton of the chimpanzee may be said to be exactly the same as +that of man, but the assertion must be qualified by a few facts which +are of minor importance, but since they are facts we cannot ignore them. + +The general plan, purpose and principle are the same in each. There is +no part of the one that is not duplicated in the other, and there is no +function discharged by any part of the one that is not discharged by +the like part of the other. The chief point in which they differ is in +the structure of one bone. + +Near the base of the spinal column is a certain bone called the +_sacrum_. It is a constituent part of the column, but in its singular +form and structure somewhat differs from the corresponding bone in man. +The general outline of this bone in the plane of the hips is that of an +isosceles triangle. It fits in between the two large bones that spread +out towards the hips, and articulate with the thighbones. + +[Illustration: PELVIS OF CHIMPANZEE + + A Sacrum. + B Fourth lumbar vertebra. + C Coccyx. + D Ilium or hip-bone. + E Femur or thigh-bone. +] + +About half-way from the centre to the edge, along each side, is a +row of four round holes. Across the surface of the bone is a dim +transverse line between each pair of holes, from which it appears that +five smaller sections of the column have anchylosed or grown into each +other to form the _sacrum_, and the holes coincide with the open spaces +between the lateral processes of the other bones of the column above. + +In the chimpanzee, this bone has the same general form as in man, but +instead of four holes in each row it has five, connected by transverse +lines in the same way, indicating that six of the segments are united +instead of five; but to compensate for this the ape has one vertebra +less in the section of the column just above it, in that portion called +the _lumbar_. In it man has five, while the ape has but four. But +counting the whole number of bones in the spinal column, and regarding +each segment of the _sacrum_ as a distinct bone, which to all intents +it is, the sum of the bones in each column is exactly the same. + +Although this appears to be a fixed and constant character, it cannot +be esteemed as a matter of great importance, since the same thing has +been known to occur in the human skeleton, and the reverse has been +known in some specimens of the apes, but has never been observed in the +chimpanzee. In this respect he appears to be more constant than man so +far as we know at present. + +As the greatest strains of the spinal column are laid upon that part in +which the _sacrum_ is located, there is a tendency for these segments +to unite in order to meet the demand, and since there is the least +flexure in that part, the cartilages that lie between them ossify and +become rigid. The erect posture of man allows more room in the loins +for the fifth vertebra to move, and thus it is prevented from uniting +with the segment below it, which is held firmly in place by the two +large bones mentioned, while the crouching habit of the ape presses +that vertebra firmly against the other, confining it between the two +large bones and thus reducing its movement, wherefore the same result +follows as with the other sections below. + +Another bone that may be said to differ in structure is that known as +the _sternum_ or breastbone; it is the thin, soft bone to which the +ribs are joined in the front of the body. In the young of both man and +ape it is a mere cartilage which slowly ossifies from the top downward. +The process appears to begin at different centres, the largest nucleus +being at the top. There appear to be five of these centres. The bone +never becomes quite hard in either man or ape, but always remains +somewhat porous, and even in advanced age the outline of the lower part +is not defined by a smooth, sharp line, but is irregular in contour and +merges or blends into the cartilages that hold the ribs in place. + +In man, this bone in maturity is usually found in two segments, while +in the ape it varies. In some specimens it is the same as in man, while +in others it is found to be in four or five segments. But the _sternum_ +in each is always regarded as one bone, and is developed from one +continuous cartilage. The separate parts are never considered distinct +bones. The reason that it is found in separate sections in the ape is +doubtless due to the stooping habit of the animal, by which the bone is +constantly flexed and alternately straightened. In man this bone varies +to a great extent. + +With these trifling exceptions in point of structures alone, the +skeletons of man and ape may be truly said to be exact counterparts +of each other, having the same number of bones, of the same general +type arranged in the same order and articulated in the same manner. +The corresponding bone in each is the same in design and purpose. The +frame of the ape is much more massive in its proportions than that of +man, but while this is true of some kinds of ape the reverse is true of +others. The average height of the adult chimpanzee is about 63 inches. + +In man the _sacrum_ is more curved in the plane of the hips than it is +in the ape, while the bones of the digits in man are straighter. The +arms of man are shorter than the legs, while in the ape these features +are reversed. + +In the cranial types, it is readily seen that the skull of man is +nearly round and the face is vertical, while the skull of the ape is +elongated and the face receding. These facts deserve more notice than +the mere mention of their being so. + +In the whole scheme of nature certain laws obtain in the projection of +skulls. The angle between the plane of the face and the spinal axis is +co-ordinate to the angle between the spinal axis and the perpendicular. + +To be more exact, the spine of a snake is in a horizontal line, and the +face occupies a plane of the same kind. At the other end of the scale +is man, whose spine is in a vertical line, and his face occupies a +like plane. Between these two extremes are types which tend in various +degrees, from the lower to the higher form, and just in proportion as +the spinal axis approaches a vertical line from one side, the plane of +the face approaches it from the other. + +In accord with this fact it will be observed that the foramen or +hole in the base of the skull through which the spinal cord passes is +adjusted closer and closer to the centre of the base of the skull as +the spine becomes erect. In man, whose spinal column is erect, the +hole is in the centre of the base; in the reptile, whose spine is +horizontal, the hole is at the extreme end of the base. In the ape the +spinal axis is at an angle with the vertical line, and the plane of the +face conforms to a similar one. In keeping with this law it will be +seen in all animals that just in the same degree as the angles widen, +the foramen is removed from the centre of the base towards the occiput. + +It may be noted here, however, that the facial angle is never exactly +the same as the spinal angle. The facial plane of the reptile is not +quite horizontal, nor that of man quite vertical, but the ratios of +angularity are constant. Even the habit of rearing modifies to some +extent this character, but it is only the normal pose of the animal +that determines the exact limit of it. + +In keeping with these facts it will be observed that as the angle +between the chin and the spine widens, the lower jaws project, and the +chin recedes or flattens, and in a like degree the voice is modified. +The chin of man forms a right angle, but in the reptile it is quite +lost. In the former the vocal powers are superior to that of all other +animals, but as we descend the scale they are reduced in scope and +degraded in quality, until in the lowest reptiles they become a mere +hiss or squeak. + +By a careful study of the voices together with the skulls of animals, +it is found that the gnathic index can be relied upon as a vocal index. +The ape has the smallest angle between the spinal axis and the facial +plane, and has the greatest vocal range and purest voice of any other +animal below man. Among the apes the gibbon has the smallest angle, and +he also has the best vocal qualities of any other ape. + +The contour of the skull in all parts conforms to the angle of its +projection from the spinal axis. It is depressed and elongated in +proportion as the angle increases: the brain cavity is narrowed in a +like proportion to its length, and the brain, of course, is modified in +the same manner. + +The brain of the ape resembles that organ in man as closely as his +skeleton resembles man's. It has the same lobes, convolutions, and +centres. The texture is slightly coarser. The small details are less +intricate and their lines somewhat less distinct. But these also differ +to a certain extent in different men. In man and apes the same nerves +are present and connect the same organs of sensation, volition and +motion. In all essential points they are one. + +These leading facts are deemed sufficient to show the physical likeness +of apes to man, and we shall refrain from the minute details that would +only be of interest to the specialist. The purpose is to acquaint the +general reader with the leading facts. + +Regarding man purely in the light of an animal, it is evident that +he is, physically, very closely allied to the chimpanzee, and that +both are integral parts of one great scheme of life, designed by the +same author, fashioned after the same model, projected upon the same +plan, and amenable to the same system of vital economy. Viewing him in +the light of his physical nature, so far it is found that he does not +materially differ from other animals in the structure of his skeleton +and certain concomitants. + +In the vital organs of the two there is perhaps still greater unity +of structure, and equal unity of function in all essential details. +The difference of structure is only to the extent of making the organ +conform to the general plan of the animal, and the difference of +function is only one of degree. Since the same characters vary quite +as much among men without changing their identity as such, it cannot +be sufficient ground to widen the hiatus between man and ape; in fact, +the physical likeness of the two grows stronger as the comparison is +extended into more minute and scrutinising details. To the casual +observer the general resemblance is apparent, but to the student the +unity becomes evident. + +In addition to the facts we have cited, the ape has the same habits +of rest and sleep; lives on the same kind of diet, which is eaten and +assimilated in the same manner as with man; is subject to many of the +same diseases which attack the same organs, and affect them in the same +way as with man; he suffers like pains and dies in the same manner as +man under like conditions. + +The scope of this book is intended only to embrace the chimpanzee +and gorilla, but the comparison which we have shown applies in the +name to all four of the anthropoid apes, but must be qualified in a +few instances to make it apply to the others. These apes differ among +themselves in certain respects in form and habits, and we will omit a +detailed comparison of the monkeys as not being relevant to the subject +in hand; but it will not be out of place to mention in a general way +the chief point in which they differ from men and apes. + +There is no fixed type that will represent all kinds of monkeys. + +Within the limits of their own family they present a great variety of +types, but the one marked difference between them as a unit, and the +ape as another, is, that the spinal column of the monkey is always +extended into a tail, the first vertebra of which is joined to the +base of the _sacrum_, while the ape has no tail, but the spinal column +terminates with a small pointed bone called the coccyx, exactly the +same as in man. The number of bones and the number of ribs in monkeys +differ from those in the ape or in man, and also vary among different +types of monkey. + +There are many little shades and grades of difference all along the +line, but the unity of design throughout the whole range of simian life +is such as to show a continuity of plan and purpose in all essential +details of the animal economy. With man and ape the physical structures +are one, so far as they pertain to autonomy: their habits are one, so +far as they pertain to the means of life; their faculties are one, so +far as they pertain to the animal polity, yet they may not be of a +common stock. + +The public mind does not seem to have grasped the correct idea of +evolution, and prejudice has blinded, to some extent, the judgment. +The common opinion that man has descended from or is related by +consanguinity to a monkey is silly and absurd. Science has never taught +such folly, nor advanced any theory from which such a conclusion +could be justly deduced. It would be a waste of time for me to offer +to explain the doctrine of evolution to any one who does not already +understand it from the literature of others on this subject. If he +still nurse the idol of the identity of man and monkey, he must be +too obtuse or too perverse to be reclaimed. But no one will deny the +physical resemblance between man and the great apes, and it is this +resemblance we seek to show rather than trace any relationship based +upon theories. It is not a matter that concerns the purpose of this +work, and we shall here dismiss the subject by saying, that things may +be equivalent and yet not identical. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +CAGED IN AN AFRICAN JUNGLE + + +It may be of interest to the reader to know the manner in which I +have pursued the study of monkeys in a state of nature, and the means +employed to that end. I shall therefore give a brief outline of my life +in a cage in the heart of an African jungle in order to watch those +denizens of the forest, when free from all restraint. + +After devoting much time for several years to the study of the speech +and habits of monkeys in captivity, I formulated a plan of going into +their native haunts, to study them in a state of freedom. + +In the course of my labours up to that time, I had found out that +monkeys of the highest physical type had also a higher type of speech +than those of inferior kinds. In accord with this fact, it was logical +to infer that the anthropoid apes, being next to man in the scale of +nature, must have the faculty of speech developed in a corresponding +degree. + +As the chief object of my studies was to learn the language of monkeys, +the great apes appeared to be the best subjects for that purpose, so I +turned my attention to them. + +The gorilla was said to be the most like man, and the chimpanzee next. +There were none of the former in captivity, and but few of the latter, +and they were kept under conditions that forbade all efforts to do +anything in that line. + +As the gorilla and chimpanzee could both be found in the same section +of tropical Africa, I selected that as the field of operation, and +began to prepare for a journey there to carry out the task I had +assumed. + +The part selected was along the equator, and south of it, about two +degrees. The locality is infested with fevers, insects, serpents and +wild beasts of divers kinds. To ignore such dangers would be folly, but +there was no way to see these apes in their freedom, except to go and +live among them. + +To lessen, in a degree, the dangers incurred by such an adventure, I +devised a cage of steel wire, woven into a lattice with a mesh one inch +and a half wide. This was made in twenty-four panels, three feet three +inches square, set in a frame of narrow iron strips. Each side of the +panels was provided with half-hinges, so arranged as to fit any side of +every other panel. These could be quickly bolted together with small +iron rods, and, when so bolted, formed a cage of cubical shape, six +feet six inches square. + +Any one or more of the panels could be swung open as a door, and the +whole structure was painted a dingy green, so that when erected in the +forest it was almost invisible among the foliage. + +While it was not strong enough to withstand a prolonged siege, it +afforded a certain immunity from being surprised by the fierce and +stealthy beasts of the jungle, and would allow the occupant time to +kill an assailant before the wires would yield to an attack from +anything except an elephant. Of course it was no protection against +them, but as they rarely ever attack a man unless provoked to it, there +was little danger from that source; besides, there were not many of +those huge brutes in the immediate part in which my strange domicile +was set up. + +Through this open fabric one could see without obstruction on all +sides, and yet feel a certain sense of safety from being devoured by +leopards or panthers. + +Over this frail fortress was a roof of bamboo leaves, and it was +provided with curtains of canvas to be hung up in case of rain. The +floor was of thin boards, steeped in tar, and the structure was set up +about two feet from the ground, on nine small posts. + +[Illustration: WAITING AND WATCHING IN THE CAGE] + +It was furnished with a bed, made of heavy canvas supported by two +poles of bamboo, attached to the edge of it. One of these poles was +lashed fast to the side of the cage, and the other was suspended at +night by strong wire hooks, hung on the top of it. During the day, the +bed was rolled up on one of the poles, so that it was out of the way. I +had a light camp chair, which folded up, and a table was improvised +by a broad, short board hung on wires. This could be set up by the wall +of the cage at night, out of the way. To this meagre outfit was added a +small kerosene stove, and a swinging shelf. + +A few tin cases contained my wearing apparel, blanket, pillow, +photograph camera and supplies, medicines, and an ample store of canned +meats, crackers, &c. A magazine rifle, revolver, ammunition, and a +few useful tools, such as a hammer, saw, pliers, files, and a heavy +bush-knife, completed my stock, except some tin platters, cups and +spoons. These served in cooking, and also for the table, instead of +dishes. + +With this equipment I sailed from New York on the 9th of July 1892, +_via_ England, to the port of Gaboon, the site of the colonial +government of the French Congo. This place is within a few miles of +the equator, and near the borders of the country in which the gorilla +lives. I arrived there on the 18th of October of the same year, and +after a delay of a few weeks I set out to find the object of my search. + +Leaving this place, I went up the Ogowe River about two hundred miles, +and through the lake region on the south side of it. After some weeks +of travel and inquiry, I arrived at the lake of Ferran Vaz, in the +territory of the Nkami tribe. The lake is about thirty miles long, by +eight or ten wide, and interspersed with a few islands of large size, +covered with a dense growth of tropical vegetation. The country around +the lake is mostly low and marshy, traversed by creeks, lagoons and +rivers. Most of the land is covered by a deep and dreary jungle, with a +few sandy plains at intervals. + +In the depths of this gloomy forest, reeking with the effluvia of +decaying plants, and teeming with insect life, the gorilla dwells in +safety and seclusion. In the same forest the chimpanzee makes his +abode, but is less timid and retiring. + +On the south side of this lake, not quite two degrees below the +equator, and within some twenty miles of the ocean, I selected a place +in the heart of the primeval forest, erected my little fortress, and +gave it the name of _Fort Gorilla_. + +In the latter part of April 1893, I took up my abode in this desolate +spot, and began my long and solitary vigil. + +My sole companion was a young chimpanzee, that I named Moses, and, from +time to time, a native boy, as a servant. + +Seated in this cage, in the silence of the great forest, I have seen +the gorilla in all his majesty, strolling at leisure through his +sultry domain, in quest of food. I have seen the chimpanzee under like +conditions, and the happy, chattering monkey in the freedom of his +jungle home. + +In this novel hermitage I remained for the greater part of the time for +one hundred and twelve days and nights in succession, watching these +animals in perfect freedom following the pursuits of their daily life. + +With such an experience, I will not be charged with vanity in saying +that I have seen more of those animals in a state of nature than +any white man ever saw, and under conditions more favourable for a +careful study of their manners and habits, than could otherwise be +possible. Hence, what I have to say concerning them is the result of an +experience which no other man can claim. + +I do not mean to ignore or impugn what others have said on this +subject, but the sum of my labours in this field leads me to doubt much +that has been said and accepted as true. I regret that it devolves +upon me to controvert many stories told about these great apes, but +finding no germ of truth in some of them, I cannot evade the duty of +denying them. I regret it all the more, because many of them have been +woven into the fabric of natural history, and marked with the seal of +scientific approval; but time will sustain me in the denial. + +I am aware that bigots of certain schools will challenge me for +pointing out their mistakes, and some will assume to know more about +these apes than a fish knows about swimming; but truth defies all +theory. + +Each kind of ape will be treated in the chapter devoted to it, but only +those with which I have dealt in person will be discussed at length. +Others will be noticed, in order to sustain the continuity of the +subject and show the relative planes of those under consideration. But +before proceeding with the monkeys, I shall pause to relate some of the +incidents of my hermitage. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +DAILY LIFE AND SCENES IN THE JUNGLE + + +I am so frequently asked about the details of my daily life in the +cage, how the time was occupied and what I saw besides the apes, that I +deem it of interest to relate a few of the events of my sojourn in this +wild spot. + +In order to convey an idea of it, I shall relate the incidents of a +single day and night; but of course the routine varied in some degree +from day to day. + +At six o'clock, as the sun first peeps into the forest, it finds me +with a tin cup of coffee, just made on the little kerosene stove. It +is black and dreggy, but with a little sugar it is not bad. With a few +dry crackers I break my fast of twelve hours, and am ready for the task +before me. + +[Illustration: STARTING FOR A STROLL] + +In the meantime the boy rolls up my bed and his mat. By this time Moses +has helped himself to a banana or two. Then I take my rifle, he climbs +up on my shoulder, and we go for a short walk in the bush, while the +boy sweeps out the cage and puts everything in order for the day. When +we return, the boy, armed with a native spear, or a huge knife, +takes the big jug, and goes to a spring, about three hundred yards +away, for a supply of water. + +Then Moses is allowed to climb about in the bushes and amuse himself; +the boy sits down, or goes to his village a mile away, while I watch +for gorillas. Silence is the order of the day, and here I sit, +sometimes for hours alone, almost as quiet as a tomb. + +Presently a rustle of the leaves is heard, and a porcupine comes +waddling into view. He is poking his nose about, in search of food, but +has not discovered my presence. He comes closer, until the scent or +sight of me startles him, and away he goes. By-and-by a civet cat comes +stealing through the bush, till he observes me, and hastily departs. + +After an hour of patient waiting the sound of clashing boughs is heard +in the tree-tops. A few minutes later may be seen a big school of +monkeys, led by a solemn-looking old pilot, who doubtless knows every +palm that bears nuts within twenty miles around. They are now coming to +inspect my cage, and see what new thing this is, set up in monkeydom. + +As they come nearer, they become more cautious and tardy. They find a +strong bough in the top of a big tree, and the grave old pilot perches +himself far out on it, to peep at my cage. Just behind him sits the +next in rank, resting his hands on the shoulders of the leader, while a +dozen more are arranged in similar attitudes behind each other, along +the limb. Each one pushes the one just in front of him, to make him +move up a little closer, but no one of them, except the pilot, seems to +want the front seat. + +They look in silence, turning their little heads from side to side, as +if to be certain it is not an illusion. They nudge one another again, +and move up an inch or two closer, squinting their bright eyes, as if +in doubt about the strange sight before them. They have made such calls +before, but have not quite determined what kind of an animal this is in +the cage. At each successive visit they come a little nearer, until now +they are not a hundred feet away. Now they take alarm at something, and +hurry away in another direction. + +Next comes an armadillo, prowling about for insects among the leaves. +He catches a glimpse of the cage, he stands motionless for a moment, to +see what it is, and then, like a flash, he is gone. + +During this time birds of divers kinds have been flying in all +directions. Some of them perch on the limbs near by, some pick the +nuts of the palm-tree, while others scream and screech, like so many +tin-whistles, or brass horns. Many of them are parrots. Some have +brilliant and beautiful plumage. + +It is now ten o'clock. Not a breath of air stirs a leaf of the whole +forest. The heat is sweltering and oppressive. The voices of the birds +grow less and less frequent. Even the insects do not appear to be so +busy as they were in the earlier hours of the day. Moses has abandoned +his rambles in the bush, and sits on a fallen tree, with his arms +folded, as if he had finished work for the day. + +Along towards this hour everything in the forest appears to become +quiet and inactive, and continues so until about two o'clock in +the afternoon. I was impressed on more than one occasion with this +universal rest during the hottest part of the day, and the same thing +seems to prevail among the aquatic animals. + +I now prepare my repast for midday, by opening a can of meat or fish, +and warming it in a tin plate on the little stove. I have no vegetables +or dessert, but with a few crackers broken up, and stirred into the +grease, and plenty of water to drink with it, I find it an ample meal. +When it is finished, Moses coils up in his little hammock, swung by my +side, and takes his siesta. The boy, when there, stretches out on the +floor, and does likewise. + +During the hours from ten till two, few things are astir, though I have +seen some interesting sights during that time. + +It must not be supposed that the change is sudden at these periods, for +such is not the case. It is not a fixed time for everything to cease +its activity. It is by slow degrees that one after another becomes +quiescent, until life appears almost extinct for a time; but as the sun +begins to descend the western sky, things begin to revive, and by three +o'clock everything is again astir. + +Now a lone gorilla comes stalking through the bush, looking for the red +fruit of the _batuna_ that grows at the root of the plant. He plucks +a bud of some kind, tears it apart with his fingers, smells it, and +throws it aside. Now he takes hold of a tall sapling, looks up at the +shaking branches, and turns aside. He pauses and looks around as if +suspicious of danger. He listens to see if anything is approaching, but +being reassured he resumes his search for food. Now he gently parts the +tangled vines that intercept his way, and creeps noiselessly through +them. He hesitates, looks carefully around him, and then proceeds +again. He is coming this way. I can see his black face as he turns his +head from side to side, looking for food. What a brutal visage! It has +a scowl upon it, as if he were at odds with all his race. He is now +within a few yards of the cage, but is not aware of my presence. He +plucks the tendril from a vine, smells it, and puts it in his mouth. He +plucks another and another. I shall note that vine, and ascertain what +it is. Now he is in a small open space, where the bush is cut away, so +as to afford a better view. He seems to know that this is an unusual +thing to find in the jungle, so he surveys it with caution. He comes +nearer. Now he has detected me. He sits down upon the ground, and looks +at me as if in utter surprise. A moment more he turns aside, looks back +over his shoulders, but hurries away into the dense jungle. + +It is now four o'clock, and I hear a wild pig rooting among the fallen +leaves. I see a small rodent that looks like a diminutive hedgehog. He +is gnawing the bark from a dead limb, possibly to capture some insect +secreted under it; but as rodents usually live upon vegetable diet, he +may have some other reason for this. + +It is five o'clock, and the shadows are beginning to deepen in the +forest. I see two little grey monkeys playing in the top of a very tall +tree. The birds are tiresome and monotonous. Yonder is a small snake +twined around the limb of a bushy tree. He is doubtless hunting for a +nest of young birds. The low, muttering sound of distant thunder is +heard, but little by little it grows louder. It is the familiar voice +of the tornado. I must prepare for it. + +The stove is now lighted, and a pie-pan of water set on it. In it is +stirred an ounce of desiccated soup. It is heated to the boiling-point, +and then set on the swinging table. Then a can of mutton is emptied +into another pan of the same kind, and a few crackers broken and +stirred in. The soup is eaten while the meat is being cooked. When it +is ready, the flame of the stove is turned off, and the second course +of dinner is served, consisting of canned mutton, crackers and water. +The dishes, consisting usually of three tin pie-pans and a cup, are +thrust out into the adjacent bush, for the ants and other insects to +clean during the night. + +In the meantime Moses has had his supper, and gone to his own little +cage, to find shelter from the approaching storm. The curtains are hung +up on the side of the cage, from which the tornado is coming. Now the +leaves begin to rustle. It is the first cool breath of the day, but +it is only the herald of the furious wind that is rapidly advancing. +The tree-tops begin to sway. Now they are lashing each other as if in +anger; the strong trees are bending from the wind; the lightning is so +vivid that it is blinding; the thunder is terrific. One shaft after +another, the burning bolts are hurled through the moaning forest. The +roar of thunder is unceasing. I hear the dull thud of a falling tree, +while the crackling boughs are falling all around me. The rain is +pouring in torrents, and all nature is in a rage. Every bird and beast +has sought a place of refuge from the warring elements. No sign of life +is visible, no sound is audible, save the voice of the storm. + +How unspeakably desolate the jungle is at such an hour, no fancy can +depict. How utterly helpless a human being is against the wrath of +nature, no one can realise, except to live through such an hour in such +a place. + +[Illustration: PREPARING FOR THE NIGHT] + +On one occasion five large trees were blown down, within a radius of +two hundred yards of my cage, and scores of limbs were broken off by +the wind, and scattered like straws. Some of them were six or eight +inches in diameter, and ten or twelve feet long. One of them broke the +corner off the bamboo roof over my cage. The limb was broken off a huge +cotton-tree near by, and fell from a height of about sixty feet. It was +carried by the wind some yards out of a vertical line as it fell, and +just passed far enough to spare my cage. Had it struck the body of +it, no doubt it would have been partly demolished, for the main body +of the bough was about six inches in diameter and ten feet long. This +particular tornado lasted for nearly three hours, and was the most +violent of any I saw during the entire year. + +Now the storm subsides, but the darkness is impenetrable. I have no +light of any kind, for that would alarm the inhabitants of the jungle, +and attract a vast army of insects from all quarters. Moses and the boy +are fast asleep, while I sit and listen to the many strange and weird +sounds heard in the jungle at night The bush crackles near by. It is a +leopard creeping through it. He is coming this way. Slowly, cautiously +he approaches. I cannot see him in the deep shadows of the foliage, +but I can locate him by sound, and identify him by his peculiar +tread. Perhaps he will attack the cage when he gets near enough. He +is creeping up closer. He evidently smells his prey, and is bent on +seizing it. + +My rifle stands by my elbow. I silently raise it, and lay it across my +lap. The brute is now crouching within a few yards of me, but I cannot +see to shoot him. I hear him move again, as if adjusting himself to +spring upon the cage. He cannot see it, but he has located me by scent. +I hear a low rustling of the leaves as he wags his tail preparatory to +a leap. If I could only touch a button and turn on a bright electric +light over his head! He remains crouching near, while I sit with the +muzzle of my rifle turned towards him, and my hand on the lock. It is +a trying moment. If he should spring with such force as to break the +frail network that is between us, there could be but one fate for me. + +In the brief space of a few seconds a thousand things run through one's +mind. Not prompted by fear, but by suspense. Is it best to fire into +the black shadows, or to wait for his attack? What is his exact pose? +What does he intend? How big is he? Can he see me? And a category of +similar questions arise at this critical moment. + +A clash of bushes, and he is gone. Not with the stealthy, cautious +steps with which he advanced, but in hot haste. He has taken alarm, +abandoned his purpose, and far away I can hear the dry twigs crashing +as he hurries to some remote nook. He flees as if he thought he was +being pursued. He is gone, and I feel a sense of relief. + +It is ten o'clock, the low rumbling of distant thunder is all that +remains of the tornado that swept over me a few hours ago. The stars +are shining, but the foliage of the forest is so dense, that I can only +see one here and there, peeping through the tangled boughs overhead. I +hear some little waif among the dead leaves, but what it is, or what it +wants, can only be surmised. + +Another hour is passed, and I retire to my hammock. The sounds of +nocturnal birds are fewer now. I hear a strange, tremulous sound up +in the boughs of the bushes near the cage. It sounds like the leaves +vibrating. It ceases, and begins again at intervals. I listen with +attention, for it is very singular. It is a huge python in search of +birds. He reaches his head and neck forward, grasps the bough of a +slender bush, releases his coil from another, and by contraction draws +his slimy body forward. The pliant boughs yield to his heavy weight. +The abrasion causes it to tremble, and the leaves to quake. + +I fall asleep and rest in comfort, while the dew that has fallen on the +leaves gathers itself into huge drops, their weight bends the leaves, +and they fall from their lofty perch, striking those far below with a +sharp, popping sound. The hours fly by, but in the stillness of the +early morning is heard a most unearthly scream. It is a king gorilla. +He simply makes every leaf in the forest tremble with the sound of his +piercing shrieks. + +The dawn again awakes to life the teeming forest, and all its denizens +again go forth to join the universal chase for food. + +All of these incidents cited are true in every detail, but they did not +occur every day, nor did all of them occur on the same day, as would be +inferred from the manner in which they are related. + +This gives a glimpse of my real daily life in the jungle, but the +monotony was often relieved by going out for a day or two at a time, +or hunting on the plains, a few miles away. My menu was occasionally +varied by a chicken, piece of goat, fish or porcupine; but the general +average of it was about as described. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THE CHIMPANZEE + + +Next to man, the chimpanzee occupies the highest plane in the scale of +nature. His mental and social traits, together with his physical type, +assign him to this place. + +In his distribution, he is confined to Equatorial Africa. His habitat, +roughly outlined, is from the fourth parallel north of the equator +to the fifth parallel south of it, along the west coast, and extends +eastward about half-way across the continent. His range can be defined +with more precision, but its exact limits are not quite certain. Its +boundary on the north is defined by the Kameroon valley, slightly +curving to the north, but its extent eastward is not well known. He +does not appear to be found anywhere north of this river, and it is +quite certain that the few specimens attributed to the north coast of +the Gulf of Guinea do not belong to that territory. On the south, its +boundary starts from the coast, at a point near the fifth parallel, +curves northward, crossing the Congo near Stanley Pool, pursues a +north-east course, to the centre of the Congo State, again curves +southward, across the Upper Congo, towards the north end of Lake +Tanganyika. Its limits appear to conform more to isothermal lines, than +to the rigid lines of geometry. + +Specimens are sometimes secured by collectors beyond the limits +mentioned, but so far as I can ascertain they appear to have been +captured within these limits. There are numerous centres of population. +This ape is not strictly confined to any definite topography, but +occupies the upland forests or the low basin lands. + +In one section he is known to the natives by one name, and in another +by quite a different one. The name _chimpanzee_ is of native origin. +In the Fiot tongue the name of the ape is _chimpan_, which is a slight +corruption of the true name. It is properly a compound word, the first +syllable is from the Fiot word _tyi_, which white men erroneously +pronounce like "chee." It means "small," and is found in many of the +native compounds. The latter syllable is from _mpa_, a bushman, hence +the word literally means, in the Fiot tongue, "a small bushman." + +Among other tribes the common name of the ape is _ntyigo_. The two +names appear to come from the same ultimate source. The latter is +derived from the Mpongwe word _ntyia_, blood, hence breed, and the word +_iga_, the forest, and literally means the "breed of the forest." The +same idea is involved in the two names, and both convey the oblique +idea that the animal is something more like man than other animals are. + +There are two distinct types of this ape, and they are now regarded as +two species. One of them is distributed throughout the entire habitat +described, while the other is only known south of the equator, between +the second and fifth parallels, and west of the Congo. Both kinds are +found within these limits, but the variety which is confined to that +region is called, by the tribes that know the ape, the _kulu-kamba_, in +contradistinction to the other kind, known as _ntyigo_. This name is +derived from _kulu_, the onomotope of the sound made by the animal and +the native verb _kamba_, to speak, hence the name literally means the +thing "that speaks kulu." + +In certain points the common variety differs from the _kulu-kamba_ in +a degree that would indicate that they belong to distinct species, +but the skulls and skeletons are so nearly the same, that no one can +identify them with certainty. In life, however, it is not difficult to +distinguish them. + +The _ntyigo_ has a longer face and more prominent nose than the _kulu_. +His complexion is of all shades of brown, from a light tan to a dark, +dingy mummy colour. He has a thin coat of short black hair, which is +often described as brown, but that effect is due to the colour of his +skin blending with that of his suit. In early life his hair is quite +black, but in advanced age the ends are tipped with a dull white, +giving him a dingy grey colour. The change is due to the same causes +that produce grey hairs on the human body. But there is one point in +which they differ. The entire hair of the human becomes white with age, +while only the end of it does so in the chimpanzee. In the human, one +hair becomes white, while another retains its natural colour, but in +this ape all the hairs appear to undergo the same change. + +In very aged specimens the outer part of the hair often assumes a +dirty, brownish colour, which is due to the want of vascular action +to supply the colour pigment, and the same effect is often seen in +preserved specimens, for the same reason that the hair of an Egyptian +mummy is brown, while in life it was doubtless a jet black. In this ape +the hair is uniformly black, except the small tuft of white at the base +of the spinal column and a few white hairs on the lower lip and chin. +I have examined about sixty living specimens and I have never found +any other colour among them only from the cause mentioned. The normal +colour of both sexes is the same. + +The _kulu_, as a rule, has but little hair on the top of its head, but +that on the back of it and on the neck is much longer than elsewhere on +the body, and longer on them than on other apes. + +Much stress is laid by some writers on the bald head of one ape and the +parted hair on that of another. These features cannot be relied upon as +having any specific meaning, unless there are as many species as there +are apes. Sometimes a specimen has no hair on the summit of its head, +while another differs from it in this respect alone by having a suit of +hair more or less dense, and yet in every other respect they are the +same. Some of them have the hair growing almost down to the eyebrows, +and each hair appears to diverge from a common centre like the radii +of a sphere: another of the same species will have the hair parted in +the middle as neatly as if it had been combed, while another may have +it in wild disorder. The same thing is noticed in certain monkeys, and +it is equally true of the human being. As a factor in classifying them +it signifies nothing. It may be remarked that as a whole the _kulu_ is +inclined to have little hair upon the crown of the head. + +Between the two species there is a close alliance, but the males differ +more than the females. This is especially true in the structure of +certain organs. + +The face in youth is quite free from hairs, but in the adult state +there is, in both sexes, a slight tendency to grow a light down over +the cheeks. + +The colour of the skin is not uniform in all parts of the body, +especially on the face. Some specimens have patches of dark colour set +in a lighter ground. Sometimes certain parts of the face will be dark, +and other parts light. I have seen one specimen quite freckled. + +It is said by some that the skin is light in colour when young, and +becomes darker with age, but such is not the case. It is true that +the skin darkens a few shades as the cuticle hardens, but there is no +transition from one colour to another, and this slight change of shade +is only on the exposed parts. + +The _kulu_ has a short, round face, very much like that of a human. In +early life it is quite free from hairs, but, like the other, a slight +down appears with age. He has a heavy suit of hair on the body. It is +coarser than that of the _ntyigo_, longer, and inclined to wave, giving +it a fluffy aspect. The colour is jet black, except a small tuft of +white about the base of the spine. + +The skin varies in colour less than in the _ntyigo_, and the darker +shades seldom appear. The eyes are a shade darker, and in both +species the parts of the eye which are white in man are brown in the +chimpanzee, gradually shading off into a yellow near the base of the +optic nerve. As a rule, the _kulu_ has a clear, open visage, with a +kindly expression. It is confiding and affectionate to a degree beyond +any other animal. It is more intelligent than its _confrere_, and +displays the faculty of reason almost like a human being. + +One important point in which these apes differ is in the scope and +quality of voice. The _kulu_ makes a greater range of vocal sounds than +the other. Some of them are soft and musical, while those uttered by +the _ntyigo_ are fewer in number and more harsh in quality. One of them +resembles the bark of a dog, and another is a sharp screaming sound. + +The _kulu_ evinces a certain sense of gratitude, while the _ntyigo_ +appears to be almost devoid of this instinct. There are many traits in +which they differ, but human beings, of the same family, also differ in +these qualities. + +The points in which they coincide are many, and after a brief review of +them, we may consider the question of making two species of them, or +assigning them to the same. + +The skeletons, as we have noted, are the same in form, size and +proportion. Their muscular, nervous, and veinous systems are the +same, except a slight structural variation in the genital organs of +the males, and the degree of mobility in certain facial muscles. The +character of their food, and the mode of eating it, are the same in +each. In captivity they appear to regard each other as one of their own +kind, but whether they mate or not remains to be learned. + +Such is the sum of the likenesses and differences between the two +extreme types of this genus; but with so many points in common, and +so few in which they differ, it is a matter of serious doubt whether +they can be said to constitute two distinct species, or only two marked +varieties of a common species. This doubt is further emphasised by the +fact that all the way between these two extremes are many gradations of +intermediate types, so that it is next to impossible to say where one +ends and the other begins. + +In view of all these facts, I believe them to be two well-defined +varieties of the same species; they are the white man and the negro of +a common stock. They are the patrician and plebeian of one race, or the +nobility and yeomanry of one tribe. They are like different phases of +the same moon. The _kulu-kamba_ is simply a high order of chimpanzee. + +[Illustration: IN THE JUNGLE] + +It is quite true that two varieties of one species usually have +the same vocal characteristics, and this appears to be the strongest +point in favour of assigning them to separate species, but it is not +impossible that even this may be waived. + +Leaving this question for others to decide, as they find the evidence +to sustain them, we shall, for the present, regard them as one kind, +and consider their physical, social and mental status. + +Whether they be all of one species, or divided into many, the same +habits, traits, and modes of life prevail throughout the entire group, +so that one description will apply to all, so far as we have to deal +with them in general. There are many incidents to be related elsewhere, +which apply to individuals of the special kinds mentioned, but for the +present the term chimpanzee is meant to include the whole group, except +where it may be otherwise specified. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, AND MENTAL QUALITIES + + +Physically, the chimpanzee, as we have seen, closely resembles man, +but there are certain points that have not been mentioned in which he +differs from him, also from other apes. We may here take note of a few +of those points. + +The model and structure of the ear of this ape are somewhat the same +as those of man, but the organ is larger in size, and thinner in +proportion. It is very sensitive to sound, but dull to the touch, +indicating that the surface is not well provided with nerves. He cannot +move it as other animals move theirs by the use of the muscles at its +base, but, like the human ear, it is quite fixed and helpless in this +respect. + +The hand of the chimpanzee is long and narrow. The finger bones are +longer, in proportion to their size, than those of the human hand, and +slightly more curved in the plane of the digits. One thing peculiar in +the hand of the chimpanzee, is that the tendons inside of the hand, +which are called the flexors, and designed to close the fingers, are +shorter than the line of the bones, and on this account the fingers +of the ape are always held in a curve, so that he cannot possibly +straighten them into a line. This is probably due to the habit of +climbing in which he indulges to a great extent; also to the practice +of hanging by the hands. In making his way through the bush, he often +swings from bough to bough by the arms alone, and sometimes suspends +himself by one arm, while he uses the other to pluck and eat fruit. +This characteristic is transmitted to the young, and is found in the +first stages of infancy. The thumb is not truly opposable, but is +inclined to close towards the palm of the hand. It is of little use to +him. His nails are thick, dark in colour, and not so flat as those of +man. + +Instead of having the great toe in line with the others, it projects +at an angle from the side of the foot, something after the manner of +the human thumb. The foot itself is flexible, and has great prehensile +power. In climbing, and in many other ways, it is used as a hand. The +tendons in the sole of the foot are equal in length to the line of the +bones, and the digits of the foot can be straightened, but both members +are inclined to curve into an arch in the line of the first and second +digits. + +His habit of walking is peculiar. The greater part of the weight is +borne upon the legs. The sole of the foot is placed almost flat on the +ground, but the pressure is greatest along the outer edge of it, in the +line of the last digit. This is easily noticed where he walks through +plastic ground. In the act of walking he always uses the hands, but +does not place the palm on the ground; he uses the backs of the fingers +instead, sometimes only the first joints are placed on the ground, +resting on the nails; at other times the first and second joints are +used, while at others the backs of all the fingers from the knuckles to +the nails serve as a base for the arm. The integument on these parts is +not callous, like that of the palm; the colour pigment is distributed +the same as on other exposed parts of the body, which shows that the +weight of the body is not borne on the fore limbs, as it is in the +case of a true quadruped, but indicates that the hand is only used to +balance the body and shift the weight from foot to foot, while in the +act of walking. The weight is not equally distributed between the hands +and the feet. + +His waddling gait is caused by his short legs, stooping habit and heavy +body. All bipeds with stout bodies and short legs are predisposed to a +waddling motion, which is due to the wide angle between the weight and +the changing centre of gravity. + +The chimpanzee is neither a true quadruped, nor a true biped, but +combines the habits of both. It appears to be a transition state from +the former to the latter, and a vestige of this habit is still to be +found in man, whose arms alternate in motion with his legs in the act +of walking, which suggests the idea that he may, at some time, have had +a similar habit of locomotion. Such a fact does not show that he was +ever an ape, but it does point to the belief that he has once occupied +a like horizon in nature to that now occupied by the ape, and that +having emerged from it, he still retains traces of the habit. + +This peculiarity is still more easily observed in children than in +adults. In early infancy all children are inclined to be bow-legged, +and in their first efforts at walking, invariably press most of their +weight on the outer edge of the foot, and curve the toes inward, as +if to grasp the surface on which the foot is placed. The instinct to +prehension cannot be mistaken; it differs in degree in different races, +and is vastly more pronounced in negro than in white infants. + +There is another peculiar feature in the walk of the chimpanzee. The +motion of the arms and legs do not alternate with the same degree of +regularity that they do in man or quadrupeds. This ape uses his arms +more like crutches. They are moved forward, not quite, but almost at +the same instant, and the motion of the legs is not at equal intervals. +To be more explicit: the hands are placed almost opposite each other; +the right foot is advanced about three times its length; the left foot +placed about one length in front of it; the arms are again moved; the +right foot again advanced about three lengths forward of the left; and +the left again brought about one length in front of it. The same animal +does not always use the same foot to make the long stride. It will be +seen by this that each foot moves through the same space, and that in +a line, the tracks of either foot are the same distance apart, but the +distance from the track of the right foot to that of the left is about +three times as great as the distance from the track of the left foot to +that of the right; or the reverse may be the case. The distance from +the track of either foot to the succeeding track of the other, is never +the same between the right and left tracks, except where the animal is +walking at great leisure. + +There is, perhaps, no animal more awkward than the chimpanzee, when +he attempts to run. He sometimes swings his body with such force +between his arms as to lose his balance, and falls backward on the +ground. I have often seen him do this, and when he would right himself +again, would be half his length farther backward than forward of his +starting-point. + +The chimpanzee is doubtless a better climber than the gorilla. He finds +much of his food in trees, but is not arboreal in habit in the proper +sense of that term. To be arboreal, the animal must sleep in trees or +on a perch, but the chimpanzee cannot do so. He sleeps the same as a +human being does. He lies down on the back or side, and, as a rule, +uses his arms for a pillow. I do not believe it possible for him to +sleep on a perch. He may sometimes doze in that way, but the grasp of +his foot is only brought into use when he is conscious of it. I have +often known Moses to climb down from the trees and lie upon the ground +to take a nap. I never even saw him so much as doze in any other +position. + +I may here call attention to one fact concerning the arboreal habit. +There appears to be a rule to which this habit conforms. Among apes +and monkeys the habit is in keeping with the size of the animal. The +largest monkeys, as a rule, are only found among the lowest trees, and +the smaller monkeys among the taller trees. It is a rare thing ever +to see a large monkey in the top of a tall tree. He may venture there +for food or to make his escape, but it is not his proper element. This +same rule appears to hold good among the apes themselves. The gibbon +has this habit in a more pronounced degree than any other true ape. +The orang appears to be next; the chimpanzee then comes in for a third +place, and the gorilla last. It must not be understood that all of +these apes do not frequently climb, even to the tops of the highest +trees; but that is not their normal mode of life any more than the top +of a mast is the proper place on a ship for a sailor. + +The chimpanzee is nomadic in habit, and, like the gorilla, seldom or +never passes two nights in the same spot. As to his building huts or +nests in trees or elsewhere, I am not prepared to believe that he ever +does so. I hunted in vain, for months, and made diligent inquiry in +several tribes, but failed to find a specimen of any kind of shelter +built by an ape. I do not assert that it is absolutely untrue, but I +have never been able to obtain any evidence, except the statement of +the natives that it was true. On the contrary, certain facts point to +the opposite belief. If the ape built him a permanent home the natives +would soon discover it, and there would be no difficulty in having +it pointed out. If he built a new one every night, however rude and +primitive it might be there would be so many of them in the forest that +there would be no difficulty in finding them. The nomadic habit plainly +shows that he does not build the former kind, and the utter absence of +them shows that he does not build the latter kind, and the whole story +appears to be without foundation. + +In addition to these facts, one thing to be noticed is that few or +none of the mammals of the tropics ever build any kind of a home. Even +the animals that have the habit of burrowing in other climates, do not +appear to do so in the tropics. This is due, no doubt, to the warm +climate, in which they are not in need of shelter. Of course birds, and +other oviperous animals, build nests, as they do elsewhere. + +The longevity of these apes is largely a matter of conjecture, but +from a cursory study of their dentition and other factors of their +development, it appears that the male reaches the adult stage at an age +ranging from nine to eleven years, while the female matures at six or +seven. These appear to be the periods at which they pass from the state +of adolescence. Some of them live to be perhaps forty years of age, or +upwards, but the average of life is doubtless not more than twenty-two +or twenty-three years. The average of life is more uniform with them +than with man. These figures are not mere guesswork, but are deduced +from reliable data. + +The period of gestation in both these apes is a matter that cannot +be stated with certainty. Some of the natives say that it is nine +months, while others believe that it is seven months or less, and there +are some facts to support both of these claims, but nothing quite +conclusive. The sum of the evidence that I could find rather pointed to +a term of three months or thereabouts as the true period. During the +months of February and March the male gorillas are vociferous in their +screaming, the young adults separate from the families, and some other +things indicate that this is the season of pairing and breeding. Such +may not be the case, but the inference is well-founded. It is quite +certain that the season of bearing the young is from the beginning +of May to the end of June. It is about this time that the dry season +begins and continues for four months. It would appear that nature has +selected this period of the year because it is more favourable for +rearing the young. During this season food is more abundant and can be +secured with less effort. The lowlands are drier, and this enables the +mother to retire to the dense jungle with her young, where she is less +exposed to danger than she would be in the more open forest. + +It is not certain whether the periods are the same with both apes or +not, and native reports differ on this point, but it is probable that +they are the same. + +From a social point of view, the chimpanzee appears to be of a little +higher caste than other animals. In his marital ideas he is polygamous, +but is, in a certain degree, loyal to his family. The paternal instinct +is a trifle more refined in him than in most other animals. He seems +to appreciate the relationship of parent and child more, and retain +it longer than others do. Most male animals discard their young, and +become estranged to them at a very early age; but the chimpanzee keeps +his children with him until they are old enough to go away and rear a +family of their own. + +The family of the chimpanzee frequently consists of three or four +wives and ten or twelve children, with one adult male; but there are +cases known in which two or three elderly males have been seen in the +same family, but they appear to have their own wives and children. +In such an event, however, there seems to be one who is supreme. +This fact suggests the idea that among them a form of patriarchal +government prevails. The wives and children do not appear to question +the authority of the patriarch, or to rebel against it. The male parent +often plays with his children, and appears to be fond of them. + +[Illustration: A STROLL IN THE JUNGLE] + +There is one universal error that I desire here to correct. It is the +common idea that animals are so strongly possessed of the parental +instinct that they nobly sacrifice their own lives in defence of +their young. I do not wish to dispel any belief that tends to dignify +or ennoble animals, for I am their special friend and champion; but +truth demands that we qualify this statement. It is quite true that +many have lost their lives in such acts of defence, but it was not a +voluntary sacrifice. It was not alone in the defence of their young, +but in many cases it was in self-defence. In others, it was from a lack +of judgment. These apes have often been frightened away from their +young, and the latter captured while the parents were fleeing from +the scene. This may have been the result of sagacity rather than of +depravity, but the parental instinct in both sexes, in many instances, +has failed to restrain them from flight. If it be a foe that appears +to come within the measure of their own power, they will certainly +defend their young, and this sometimes results in the loss of their own +lives; but if it be one of such formidable aspect as to appear quite +invincible, the parents leave the young to their fate. This is true of +many other animals, including man. + +I have no desire to detract from the heroic quality of this instinct, +or to dim the glory it sheds upon noble deeds ascribed to it; but the +fact that a parent incurs the risk of its own life in the defence of +its young, is not a true test of its strength or quality. It is only +in the few isolated cases of a voluntary sacrifice of the parent, +foreknowing the result, that it can be said the act was due to the +instinct. In most cases it is under the belief in its ability to +rescue the one in danger, but the parent is not wholly aware of its own +danger. + +I doubt if any animal except man ever deliberately offered its own life +as a ransom for that of another, and such instances in human history +are so rare as to immortalise the actor. + +To whatever extent the instinct may be found, it is much stronger in +the female than in the male, and it appears to be stronger in domestic +animals than in wild ones. To what extent this is due to their contact +with man, it is difficult to say. The germ may be inherent, but it +certainly yields to culture. + +The fact of the ape deserting its offspring under certain conditions, +may be taken as an evidence of its superior intelligence and its +appreciation of life and danger, rather than a low, brutish impulse. It +is the exercise of superior judgment that causes man to act with more +prudence than other animals. It does not detract from his nobleness. + +Within the family circle of the chimpanzee the father is supreme; +but he does not degrade his royalty by being a tyrant. Each member +of the family seems to have certain rights that are not impugned by +others. For example, possession is the right of ownership. When one ape +procures a certain article of food, the others do not try to dispossess +it. It is from this source, doubtless, that man inherits the idea of +private ownership. It is the same principle amplified by which nations +hold the right of territory, but nations often violate this right, and +so do chimpanzees when not held in check by something more potent than +a sense of justice. With all due respect, I do not think the ape abuses +the right by urging his claim beyond his real needs, while nations +sometimes do. + +When a member of a family of apes is ill, the others are quite +conscious of it, and evince a certain amount of solicitude. Their +conduct indicates that they have, in a small degree, the passion of +sympathy, but the emotion is feeble and wavering. So far as I know, +they do not essay any treatment, except to soothe and comfort the +sufferer. They surely have some definite idea of what death is, and +I have reason to believe that they have a name for it. They do not +readily abandon their sick, but when one of them is unable to travel +with the band, the others rove about for some days, within call of it, +but do not minister to its wants. + +It is said, if one of them is wounded, the others will rescue it if +possible, and convey it to a place of safety; but I cannot vouch for +this, as such an incident has never come within my own experience. + +One of the most remarkable of all the social habits of the chimpanzee, +is the _kanjo_, as it is called in the native tongue. The word does not +mean "dance" in the sense of saltatory gyrations, but implies more the +idea of "carnival." It is believed that more than one family takes part +in these festivities. + +Here and there in the jungle is found a small spot of sonorous earth. +It is irregular in shape, but is about two feet across. The surface +is of clay, and is artificial. It is superimposed upon a kind of +peat bed, which, being very porous, acts as a resonance cavity, and +intensifies the sound. This constitutes a kind of drum. It yields +rather a dead sound, but of considerable volume. + +This queer drum is made by chimpanzees, who secure the clay along the +bank of some stream in the vicinity. They carry it by hand, and deposit +it while in a plastic state, spread it over the place selected, and let +it dry. I have, in my possession, a part of one that I brought home +with me from the Nkami forest. It shows the finger-prints of the apes, +which were impressed in it while the mud was yet soft. + +After the drum is quite dry, the chimpanzees assemble by night in great +numbers, and the carnival begins. One or two will beat violently on +this dry clay, while others jump up and down in a wild and grotesque +manner. Some of them utter long, rolling sounds, as if trying to sing. +When one tires of beating the drum, another relieves him, and the +festivities continue in this fashion for hours. + +I know of nothing like this in the social economy of any other animal, +but what it signifies, or what its origin was, is quite beyond my +knowledge. It appears probable that they do not indulge in this _kanjo_ +in all parts of their domain, nor do they occur at regular intervals. + +The chimpanzee is averse to solitude. He is fond of the society of +man, and is easily domesticated. If allowed to go at liberty, he is +well-disposed, and is strongly attached to man, but if confined, he +becomes vicious and ill-tempered. All animals, including man, have the +same tendency. + +Mentally the chimpanzee occupies a high plane within his own sphere of +life, but within those limits the faculties of the mind are not called +into frequent exercise, and therefore they are not so active as they +are in man. + +It is difficult to compare the mental status of the ape to that of +man, because there is no common basis upon which the two rest. Their +modes of life are so unlike, as to afford no common unit of measure. +Their faculties are developed along different lines. The two have but +few problems in common to solve. While the scope of the human mind +is vastly wider than that of the ape, it does not follow that it can +act with more precision in all things. There are, perhaps, instances +in which the mind of the ape excels that of man, by reason of its +adaptation to certain conditions. It is not a safe and infallible guide +to measure all things by the standard of man's opinion of himself. It +is quite true that, by such a unit of measure, the comparison is much +in favour of the man, but the conclusion is neither just nor adequate. + +It is a problem of great interest, however, to compare them in this +manner, and the result would indicate that a fair specimen of the ape +is in about the same mental horizon as a child of one year old. But +if the operation were reversed, and man were placed under the natural +conditions of the ape, the comparison would be much less in his +favour. There is no common mental unit between them. + +The chimpanzee exercises the faculty of reason with a fair degree of +precision, on problems that concern his own comfort or safety. He is +quick to interpret motives, to discern intents, and is a rare judge +of character. He is inquisitive, but not so imitative as monkeys are. +He is more observant of the relations of cause and effect, and in his +actions he is controlled by more definite motives. He is docile, and +quickly learns anything that lies within the range of his own mental +plane. + +The opinion has long prevailed that these apes subsist upon a vegetable +diet, but such is not in anywise the case. In this respect their habits +are the same as those of man, except that the latter has learned to +cook his food, while the former eats his raw. + +Their natural tastes are much diversified, and they are not all equally +fond of the same articles of food. Most of them are partial to the wild +mango, which grows in abundance in certain localities in the forest, +and is often available when other kinds of food are scarce. It thus +becomes, as it were, a staple article of food. There are many kinds of +nuts to be found in their domain, but the oil palm nut appears to be a +favourite. They also eat the kola nut, when it is to be had. Several +kinds of small fruits and berries also form a part of their diet. They +eat the stalks of some plants, the tender buds of others, and the +tendrils of certain vines, the names of which I do not know. + +Most of the fruits and plants that are relished by them are either +acidulous or bitter in taste, and they are not especially fond of sweet +fruits, if they can get those having the flavours mentioned. They eat +bananas, pine-apples, and other sweet fruits, but not from choice. Most +of them appear to prefer a lime to an orange, a plantain to a banana, +or a kola nut to a sweet mango, but in captivity they acquire a taste +for sweet foods of all kinds. + +In addition to these articles they devour birds, lizards, and small +rodents. They rob the birds of their eggs and their young. They make +havoc on many kinds of large insects. Those that I have owned were fond +of cooked meats and salt fish, either raw or cooked. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +THE SPEECH OF CHIMPANZEES + + +The speech of chimpanzees is limited to a few sounds, and these are +confined chiefly to their natural wants. The entire vocabulary of their +language embraces perhaps not more than twenty words, and many of them +are vague or ambiguous, but they express the concept of the ape with +as much precision as it is defined to his mind, and quite distinctly +enough for his purpose. + +In my researches I have learned about ten words of his speech, so that +I can understand them, and make myself understood by them. Most of +these sounds are within the compass of the human voice, in tone, pitch, +and modulation; but two of them are much greater in volume than it +is possible for the human lungs to reach, and one of them rises to a +pitch more than an octave higher than any human voice. These two sounds +are audible at a great distance, but they do not fall within the true +limits of speech. + +[Illustration: THE EDGE OF THE JUNGLE] + +The vocal organs of this ape resemble those of man as closely as any +other character has been shown to resemble. They differ slightly in +one detail that is worthy of notice. Just above the opening called +the glottis, which is between the vocal cords, are two small sacs or +ventricles. These, in the ape, are larger and more flexible than in +man. In the act of speaking they are inflated by the air passing out +of the lungs through the long tube called the larynx. The function +of these organs is to control and modify the sound by increasing or +decreasing the pressure of the air that is jetted through this tube. +They serve, at the same time, as a reservoir and a gauge. + +In the louder sounds produced by the chimpanzee these ventricles +distend until the membrane of which they are composed is held at a high +tension. This greatly intensifies the voice, and increases its volume. +It is partly due to these little sacs that the ape is able to make +such a loud and piercing scream. But the pitch and volume of his voice +cannot be due to this cause alone, for the gorilla, in which these +ventricles are much smaller, can make a vastly louder sound, unless we +are mistaken about the one ascribed to him. + +Although the sounds made by the chimpanzee can be imitated by the +human voice, they cannot be expressed or represented by any system of +phonetic symbols in use among men. All alphabets have been deduced from +pictographs, and the symbol that represents any given sound has no +reference to the organs that produced it. The few rigid lines that have +survived to form the alphabets are conventional, and within themselves +meaningless, but they have been so long used to represent these sounds +of speech that it would be difficult to supplant them with others, even +if such were desired. + +As no literal formula can be made to represent the phonetic elements +of the speech of chimpanzees, I have taken a new step in the art of +writing by framing a system of my own, which is rational in plan and +simple in device. + +The organs of speech always act in harmony, and a certain movement +of the lips is always attended by a certain movement of the internal +organs of speech. This is true of the ape as well as of man, and in +order to utter the same sounds each would employ the same organs, and +use them in the same way. + +By this means, deaf mutes are able to distinguish the sounds of speech +and reproduce them, although they do not hear them. By close study and +long practice they learn to distinguish the most delicate shades of +sound. + +In this plain fact lies the clue to the method I have used. It is, as +yet, only in the infant state, but it is possible to be made, with a +very few symbols, to represent the whole range of vocal sounds made by +man or other animals. + +The chief symbols I employ are the parentheses used in common print. +The two curved lines placed with the convex sides opposite, thus, (), +represent the open glottis, in which position the voice will utter the +deep sound of "O." The glottis about half closed utters the sound +of "U," as in the German, and to represent this sound a period is +inserted between the two curved lines, thus, (.). When the aperture +is contracted still more it produces the sound of "A" broad, and to +represent this a colon is placed between the lines, thus, (:). When +the aperture is restricted to a still smaller compass the sound of "U" +short is uttered, and to represent this an apostrophe is placed between +the lines, thus, ('). When the vocal cords are brought to a greater +tension, and the aperture is almost closed, it utters the short sound +of "E." To represent this sound a hyphen is inserted between the lines, +thus, (-). These are the main vowel sounds of all animals, although in +man they are sometimes modified, and to them is added the sound of "E" +long, while in the ape the long sounds of "O" and "E" are rarely, if +ever, heard. + +From this vowel basis all other sounds may be deduced, and by the use +of diacritics to indicate the movement of the organs of speech, the +consonant elements may be easily expressed. + +A single parenthesis, with the concave side to the left, will represent +the initial sound of "W," which seldom, but sometimes, occurs in the +sounds of animals. When used, it is placed on the left side of the +leading symbol, thus,)(), and this symbol, as it stands, should be +pronounced nearly like "U-O," but with the first letter suppressed, and +almost inaudible. Turning the concave side to the right, and placing +it on the right side of the symbol, it represents the vanishing sound +of "W," thus, ()(. This symbol reads "O-U," with the "O" long, and the +"W" depressed into the short sound of "U." The apostrophe placed before +or after the symbol will represent "F" or "V." The grave accent, thus, +(`), represents the breathing sound of "H," whether placed before or +after the symbol, and the acute accent, thus, ('), will represent the +aspirate sound of that letter in the same way. + +When the symbol is written with a numeral exponent, it indicates +the degree of loudness. If there is no figure, the sound is such as +would be made by the human voice in ordinary speech. The letter "X" +will indicate a repetition of the sound, and the numeral placed after +it will show the number of times repeated, instead of the degree of +loudness. For example, we will write the sound (.), which is equivalent +to long "U," made in a normal tone, the same symbol written thus (.)2 +indicates the sound, made with greater energy, and about twice as loud. +To write it thus, (.)X2, indicates that the sound was repeated, and so +on. + +One peculiar sound made by these animals, which is described in +connection with the gorilla, appears to be the result of inhalation, +but I know of no other animal that makes a sound in this manner. + +As an example of the use of this method, we will write the French +word "feu," which Moses mastered, thus, '('), which is equivalent to +"vu" with the "U" sounded short, the other word "wie," in German, +thus,)('), which is pronounced almost like "wu," giving "u" the short +sound again. + +I shall not lead the reader through the long and painful task by giving +the entire system as far as I have gone, but what has been given will +convey an idea of a system, by means of which it will be possible to +represent the sounds of all animals, so that the student of phonetics +will recognise at once the character of the sound, even if he cannot +reproduce it by natural means. + +It would be tedious and of no avail to the casual reader to reduce +to writing here the sounds made by the chimpanzee; but it may be of +interest to mention and describe the character and use of some of them. + +Perhaps the most frequent sound made by all animals, appears to be +that referring to food, and therefore it may claim the first place in +our attention. This word in the language of the chimpanzee begins with +the short sound of the vowel "u" which blends into a strong breathing +sound of "h," the lips are compressed at the sides, and the aperture of +the mouth is nearly round. It is not difficult to imitate, and the ape +readily understands it even when poorly made. + +Another sound of frequent use among them is that used for calling. The +vowel element is nearly the same, though slightly sharpened, and merges +into a distinct vanishing "w." The food sound is often repeated two or +three times in succession, but the call is rarely ever repeated, except +at long intervals. + +One sound is particularly soft and musical, the vowel element is that +of long "u" as in the German. This blends into a "w," followed by the +slightest suggestion of the short sound of "a." It appears to express +affection or love. This sound is also the first of the series of sounds +attributed to the gorilla. + +The most complex sound made by them is the one elsewhere described as +meaning "good." They often use it in a sense very much the same as +mankind uses the word "thanks," but it is not probable that they use it +as a polite term, yet the same idea is present. + +One of the words of warning or alarm contains a vowel element closely +resembling the short sound of "e." It terminates with the breathing +sound of "h." It is used to announce the approach of anything that +he is familiar with, and not afraid of. If the sound is intended to +warn against the approach of an enemy, or something strange, the same +vowel element is used, but terminates with the aspirate sound of "h" +pronounced with energy and distinctness. The two words are the same in +vowel quality, but they differ in the time required to utter them, and +the final breathing and aspirate effects. There is also a difference +in the manner of the speaker in the act of delivering the word, which +plainly indicates that he knows the use and value of the sounds. At +the approach of danger the latter is often given almost in a whisper, +and at long intervals apart, but increases in loudness as the danger +approaches; the other is usually spoken distinctly and repeated +frequently. It is worthy of note that the native tribes often use the +same word in the same manner and for the same purpose. + +There are other sounds which are easily identified but difficult to +describe, such as that used to signify "cold" or "discomfort"; another +for "drink"; another referring to "illness," and still another which I +have good reason to believe means "dead" or "death." There are perhaps +a dozen more that I can distinguish, but have not yet been able to +determine their meaning. I have an opinion as to some of them which I +have not yet verified. + +The chimpanzee makes use of a few signs which seem to be fixed factors +of expression. He makes a negative sign by moving the head from side to +side, but the gesture is not frequent or pronounced. Another negative +sign, which is more common, is a motion of the hand from the body +towards the person or thing addressed. This sign is sometimes made +with great emphasis, and there can be no question as to what it means. +The manner of making the sign is not uniform. Sometimes it is done +by an urgent motion of the hand. Bringing it from his opposite side, +with the back forward, it is waved towards any one approaching, if the +ape object to the approach. The same sign is often made as a refusal +of anything offered him. Another way of making this sign is with the +arm extended forward, the hand hanging down, and the back towards the +person approaching or the thing refused. In addition to these negative +signs there is one which may be regarded as affirmative. It is made +simply by extending one arm towards the person or thing desired. It +sometimes serves the purpose of beckoning; but in this act there is no +motion of the hand. These signs are similar in character to those used +by men, and appear to be innate. + +It must not be inferred from this small list of words and signs that +there is nothing left to learn. So far we have only taken the first +step as it were in the study of the speech of apes. As we grow more +familiar with their sounds, it becomes less difficult to understand +them. I have not been disappointed in what I hoped to learn from these +animals. The total number of words in the speech of all simians that +I have learned up to this time is about one hundred. I have given no +attention of late to the small monkeys, but I shall resume the task at +some future day, as it forms a part of the work I have assumed, but all +of that is described in a work already published. + +In conclusion, I will say that the sounds uttered by these apes have +all the characteristics of true speech. The speaker is conscious of +the meaning of the sound used, and uses it with the definite purpose +of conveying an idea to the one addressed; the sound is always +addressed to some definite one, and the speaker usually looks at the +one addressed; he regulates the pitch and volume of the voice to suit +the condition under which it is used; he knows the value of sound as a +medium of thought. These and many other facts show that they are truly +speech. + +If these apes were placed under domestication, and kept there as long +as the dog has been, he would be as far superior to the dog in sagacity +as he is by nature above the wild progenitors of the canine race. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +THE CAPTURE AND CHARACTER OF MOSES + + +During my sojourn in the forest, I had a fine, young chimpanzee, which +was of ordinary intelligence, and of more than ordinary interest, +because of his history. + +I gave him the name Moses, not in derision of the historic Israelite of +that name, but because of the circumstances of his capture and life. + +He was found all alone in a wild papyrus swamp of the Ogowe River. No +one knew who his parents were, or how he ever came to be left in that +dismal place. The low bush in which he was crouched when discovered +was surrounded by water, and the poor little waif was cut off from the +adjacent dry land. + +As the native who captured him approached, the timid little ape tried +to climb up among the vines above him, and escape, but the agile hunter +seized him before he could do so. At first the chimpanzee screamed, +and struggled to get away, because he had perhaps never before seen a +man, but when he found that he was not going to be hurt, he put his +frail arms around his captor, and clung to him as a friend. Indeed, +he seemed glad to be rescued from such a dreary place, even by such a +strange creature as a man. + +For a moment the man feared that the cries of his young prisoner might +call its mother to the rescue, and possibly a band of others; but if +she heard them, she did not respond, so he tied the baby captive with +a thong of bark, put him into his canoe, and brought him away to the +village, where he supplied him with food, and made him quite cosy. +The next day he was sold to a trader. About this time I passed up the +river on my way to the jungle in search of the gorilla and other apes. +Stopping at the station of the trader, I bought him, and took him along +with me. We soon became the best of friends and constant companions. + +It was supposed that the mother chimpanzee left her babe in the tree +while she went off in search of food, and wandered so far away that she +lost her bearings and could not again find him. He appeared to have +been for a long time without food, and may have been crouching there +in the forks of that tree for a day or two; but such was only inferred +from his hunger, as there was no way to determine how long he had +remained, or even how he got there. + +I designed to bring Moses up in the way that good chimpanzees ought to +be brought up, so I began to teach him good manners in the hope that +some day he would be a shining light to his race, and aid me in my work +among them. To that end I took great care of him, and devoted much +time to the study of his natural manners, and to improving them as much +as his nature would allow. + +I built him a neat little house within a few feet of my cage. It was +enclosed with a thin cloth, and had a curtain hung at the door, to keep +out mosquitoes and other insects. It was supplied with plenty of soft, +clean leaves, and some canvas bed-clothing. It was covered over with a +bamboo roof, and suspended a few feet from the ground, so as to keep +out the ants. + +Moses soon learned to adjust the curtain, and go to bed without my +aid. He would lie in bed in the morning until he heard me or the boy +stirring about the cage, when he would poke his little black head out, +and begin to jabber for his breakfast. Then he would climb out, and +come to the cage to see what was going on. + +He was not confined at all, but quite at liberty to go about in the +forest, climb the trees and bushes, and have a good time of it. He was +jealous of the boy, and the boy was jealous of him, especially when it +came to a question of eating. Neither of them seemed to want the other +to eat anything that they mutually liked, and I had to act as umpire in +many of their disputes on that grave subject, which seemed to be the +central thought of both of them. + +I frequently allowed Moses to dine with me, and I never knew him to +refuse, or to be late in coming on such occasions, but his table +etiquette was not of the best order. I gave him a tin plate and a +wooden spoon, but he did not like to use the latter, and seemed to +think that it was pure affectation for any one to eat with such an +awkward thing. He always held it in one hand, while he ate with the +other, or drank his soup out of the plate. + +It was such a task to get washing done in that part of the world, that +I resorted to all means of economy in that matter, and for a tablecloth +I used a leaf of newspaper, when I had it. To tear that paper afforded +Moses an amount of pleasure that nothing else would, and in this act +his conduct was more like that of a naughty child than in anything he +did. + +When he would first take his place at the table, he behaved in a nice +and becoming manner; but having eaten till he was quite satisfied, he +usually became rude and saucy. He would slily put his foot up over the +edge of the table, and catch hold of the corner of the paper, meanwhile +watching me closely, to see if I was going to scold him. If I remained +quiet he would tear it just a little and wait to see the result. If +no notice was taken of that, he would tear it a little more, but keep +watching my face to see when I observed it. If I raised my finger +to him, he quickly let go, drew his foot down, and began to eat. If +nothing more was done to stop him, the instant my finger and eyes were +dropped, that dexterous foot was back on the table and the mischief +resumed with more audacity than before. + +When he carried his fun too far, I made him get down from the table +and sit on the floor. This humiliation he did not like at best, but +when the boy would grin at him for it, he would resent it with as much +temper as if he had been poked with a stick. He certainly was sensitive +on this point, and evinced an undoubted dislike to being laughed at. + +Another habit that Moses had was putting his fingers in the dish to +help himself. He had to be watched all the time to prevent this, and +seemed unable to grasp any reason why he should not be allowed to do +so. He always appeared to think my spoon, knife and fork were better +than his own spoon. On one occasion he persisted in begging for my +fork until I gave it to him. He dipped it into his soup, held it up, +and looked at it as if disappointed. He again stuck it into his soup, +and then examined it, as if to see how I lifted my food with it. He +did not seem to notice that I used it in lifting meat instead of soup. +After repeating this three or four times, he licked the fork, smelt it, +and then deliberately threw it on the floor, as if to say, "That's a +failure." He leaned over and drank his soup from the plate. + +The only thing that he cared much to play with was a tin can that I +kept some nails in. For this he had a kind of mania, and never tired +of trying to remove the lid. When given the hammer and a nail, he knew +what they were for, and would set to work to drive the nail into the +floor of the cage or the table; but he hurt his fingers a few times, +and after that he stood the nail on its flat head, removed his fingers +and struck it with the hammer, but, of course, never succeeded in +driving it into anything. + +A bunch of sugar-cane was kept for Moses to eat when he wanted it, and +to aid him in tearing the hard shell away from it, I kept a club to +bruise it. Sometimes he would go and select a stalk of the cane, carry +it to the block, take the club in both hands, and try to mash the cane +himself; but as the jar of the stroke often hurt his hands, he learned +to avoid this, by letting go as the club descended. He never succeeded +in crushing the cane, but would continue his efforts until some one +came to his aid. At other times he would drag a stalk of the cane to +the cage, poke it through the wires, then bring the club, and poke it +through, to get me to mash it for him. + +From time to time I received newspapers sent me from home. Moses could +not understand what induced me to sit holding that thing before me, +but he wished to try it, and see. He would take a leaf of it, and hold +it up before him with both hands, just as he saw me do; but instead of +looking at the paper, he kept his eyes, most of the time, on me. When +I would turn mine over, he did the same thing, but half the time had +it upside down. He did not appear to care for the pictures, or notice +them, except a few times he tried to pick them off the paper; and one +large cut of a dog's head, when held at a short distance from him, he +appeared to regard with a little interest, as if he recognised it as +that of an animal of some kind, but I cannot say just what his ideas +concerning it really were. + +Chimpanzees are not usually so playful or funny as monkeys, but they +have a certain degree of mirth in their nature, and at times display a +marked sense of humour. + +One thing that Moses liked was to play peek-a-boo with me or the boy. +He did not try to conceal his body from view, but would hide his eyes, +and then peep. A favourite time for this was in the early part of the +afternoon. He would often go and put his head behind a large tin box in +the cage, while his whole body was visible. In this attitude he would +utter a series of peculiar sounds, then draw his head out, and look at +me, to see if I was watching him. If not, he would repeat the act a few +times, and then hunt something else to amuse himself with. But if he +could gain attention, the romp began, and he found great pleasure in +this simple pastime. He would roll over, kick up his heels, and grin, +with evident delight. + +I spent much time in entertaining him in this way, and felt amply +repaid for it in the gratification it afforded him. I could not resist +his overtures to play, as he was my companion and my friend, and, +living in that solitary gloom, it was a mutual pleasure. + +Another occasion on which he used to peep at me was when he lay down to +take his midday nap. For this I had made him a little hammock, which +was suspended by wires, so that it could be removed when not in use. I +always hung this by my side in the cage, so I could swing him to sleep +like a child. He liked this, and I liked to indulge him. When he was +laid in it, he was usually covered up with a small piece of canvas, and +in spreading it over him, I frequently laid the edge of it over his +eyes, but he seemed to suspect me of having some motive in doing so. +Often he would reach his fingers up, catch the edge of the cloth, and +gently draw it down, so he could see what I was doing. If he saw that +he was detected, he would quickly release it, and cuddle down, as if it +had been done by accident; but the little rogue knew, just as well as I +did, what it meant to peep. + +I also made him another hammock, and hung it out a few yards from the +cage, so he could get into it without bothering me; but he never cared +for it, until I brought a young gorilla to live with us in our jungle +home, and as Moses never used it, I assigned it to the new member of +the household. Whenever the gorilla got into it there was a small row +about it. Moses would never allow him to occupy it in peace. He seemed +to know that it was his own by right, and the gorilla was regarded +as an intruder. He would push and shove the gorilla, grunt and whine +and quarrel, until he got him out of it; but after doing so he would +leave it, and climb up into a bush, or go away to hunt something to +eat. He only wanted to dispossess the intruder, for whom he nursed an +inordinate jealousy. He never went near the gorilla's little house, +which was on the opposite side of the cage from his own; even after +the gorilla died, he kept aloof from it. + +As a rule, I always took Moses with me in my rambles into the forest, +and I found him to be quite useful in one way. His eyes were like the +lens of a camera--nothing escaped them; and when he discovered anything +in the jungle, he always made it known by a peculiar sound. He could +not point it out with his finger, but by watching his eyes the object +could often be located. + +Frequently during these tours the ape rode on my shoulders, and at +other times the boy carried him, but occasionally he was put down on +the ground to walk. If we travelled at a very slow pace, and allowed +him to stroll along at leisure, he was content to do so, but if hurried +beyond a certain gait he always made a display of his temper. He would +turn on the boy and attack him, if possible; but if the boy escaped, +the angry little ape would throw himself down on the ground, scream, +kick, and beat the earth with his own head and hands in the most +violent and persistent manner. He sometimes did the same way when not +allowed to have what he wanted. His conduct was exactly like that of a +spoiled, ugly child. + +He had a certain amount of ingenuity, and often evinced a degree of +reason which was rather unexpected. It was not a rare thing for him +to solve some problem that involved a study of cause and effect, but +always in a limited degree. I would not be understood to mean that he +could work out any abstract problem, such as belongs to the realm +of mathematics, but simple, concrete problems, where the object was +present. + +On one occasion, while walking through the forest we came to a small +stream of water. The boy and myself stepped across it, leaving Moses +to get over it without help. He disliked getting his feet wet, and +paused to be lifted across. We walked a few steps away, and waited. He +looked up and down the branch to see if there was any way to avoid it. +He walked back and forth a few yards, but found no way to cross it. +He sat down on the bank, and declined to wade it. After a few moments +he waddled along the bank, about ten or twelve feet, to a clump of +tall slender bushes growing by the edge of the stream. Here he halted, +whined, and looked up into them thoughtfully. At length he began to +climb one of them that leaned over the water. As he climbed up, the +stalk bent with his weight, and in an instant he was swung safely +across the little brook. He let go the plant, and came hobbling along +to me with a look of triumph on his face that plainly indicated that he +was fully conscious of having performed a very clever feat. + +One dark, rainy night I felt something pulling at my blanket and +mosquito bar. I could not for a moment imagine what it was, but knew +that it was something on the outside of my cage. I lay for a few +seconds, and felt another strong pull at them. In an instant some cold, +damp, rough thing touched my face, and I found it was his hand poked +through the meshes and groping about for something. I spoke to him, +and he replied with a series of plaintive sounds which assured me that +something must be wrong. + +I arose, and lighted a candle. His little brown face was pressed up +against the wires, and wore a sad, weary look. He could not tell me +in words what troubled him, but every sign, look, and gesture bespoke +trouble. Taking the candle in one hand, and my revolver in the other, +I stepped out of the cage and went to his domicile, where I discovered +that a colony of ants had invaded his quarters. + +These ants are a great pest when they attack anything, and when they +make a raid on a house the only thing to be done is to leave it until +they have devoured everything about it that they can eat. When they +leave a house there is not a roach, rat, bug, or insect left in it. + +As the house of Moses was so small, it was not difficult to dispossess +them by saturating it with kerosene, which was quickly done, and +the little occupant allowed to return and go to bed. He watched the +procedure with evident interest, and seemed perfectly aware that I +could rid him of his savage assailants. In a wild state he would +doubtless have abandoned his claim, and fled to some other place +without an attempt to drive them away, but in this instance he had +acquired the idea of the rights of possession. + +Moses was especially fond of corned beef and sardines, and would +recognise a can of either as far away as he could see it. He also +knew the instrument used in opening them, but he did not appear to +appreciate the fact that when the contents had once been taken out it +was useless to open the can again, so he often brought the empty cans +that had been thrown into the bush, would get the can-opener down, and +want me to use it for him. I never saw him try to open it himself, +except with his fingers. Sometimes, when about to prepare my own meals, +I would open the case in which I kept stored a supply of canned meats, +and allow Moses to select one for the purpose. He never failed to pull +out one of the cans of beef, bearing the red and blue label. If I put +it back he would select the same kind, and could not be deceived in his +choice. It was not accidental, because he would hunt for one until he +found it. + +I don't know what he thought when it was not served for dinner, as I +often exchanged it for another kind without consulting him. + +I kept my supply of water in a large jug, which was placed in the shade +of the bushes near the cage. I also kept a small pan for Moses to drink +out of. He would sometimes ask for water, by using his own word for it. +He would place his pan by the side of the jug and repeat the sound a +few times. If he was not attended to he proceeded to help himself. He +could take the cork out of the jug quite as well as I could. He would +then put his eye to the mouth of it, and look down into the vessel to +see if there was any water. Of course the shadow of his head would +darken the interior of the jug so that he could not see anything. Then +removing his eye from the mouth of it, he would poke his hand in it, +but I reproved him for this until I broke him of the habit. After a +careful examination of the jug he would try to pour the water out. He +knew how it ought to be done, but was not able to handle the vessel +himself. He always placed the pan on the lower side of the jug; then +leaned the jug towards it and let go. He would rarely ever get the +water into the pan, but always turned the jug with the neck down grade. +As a hydraulic engineer he was not a great success, but he certainly +knew the first principles of the science. + +I tried to teach Moses to be cleanly, but it was a hard task. He would +listen to my precepts as if they had made a deep impression, but he +would not wash his hands of his own accord. He would permit me or the +boy to wash them, but when it came to taking a bath, or even wetting +his face, he was a rank heretic on the subject, and no amount of +logic would convince him that he needed it. When he was given a bath, +he would scream and fight during the whole process; and when it was +finished he would climb up on the roof of the cage and spread himself +out in the sun. This was the only occasion on which I ever knew him to +get up on the roof. I don't know why he disliked it so much. He did not +mind getting wet in the rain, but rather seemed to like that. + +He had a great dislike for ants and certain large bugs. Whenever one +came near him he would talk like a magpie, and brush at it with his +hands until he got rid of it. He always used a certain sound for this +kind of annoyance; it differed slightly from those I have described as +warning. + +Moses tried to be honest, but he was affected with a species of +kleptomania, and could not resist the temptation to purloin anything +that came in his way. The small stove upon which I prepared my food was +placed on a shelf in one corner of the cage, about half-way between the +floor and the top. Whenever anything was set on the stove to cook, he +had to be watched to keep him from climbing up the side of the cage, +reaching his arm through the meshes and stealing it. He was sometimes +very persevering in this matter. One day I set a tin can of water on +the stove to heat in order to make some coffee; he silently climbed up, +reached his hand through, stuck it in the can, and began to search for +anything it might contain. I threw out the water, refilled the can, and +drove him away. In a few minutes he returned and repeated the act. I +had a piece of canvas hung up on the outside of the cage to keep him +away. The can of water was placed on the stove for the third time, +but within a minute he found his way by climbing up under the curtain +between it and the cage. I determined to teach him a lesson. He was +allowed to explore the can, but finding nothing he withdrew his hand, +and sat there clinging to the side of the cage. Again he tried, but +found nothing. The water was getting warmer, but was still not hot. At +length, for the third or fourth time he stuck his hand into it up to +the wrist. By this time the water was so hot that it scalded his hand. +It was not severe enough to do him any harm, but quite enough so for a +good lesson. He jerked his hand out with such violence that he threw +the cup over, and spilt the water all over that side of the cage. From +that time to the end of his life he always refused anything that had +steam or smoke about it. If anything having steam or smoke was offered +him at the table, he would climb down at once and retire from the +scene. Poor little Moses! I knew beforehand what would happen, and I +did not wish to see him hurt, but nothing else would serve to impress +him with the danger and keep him out of mischief. + +Anything that he saw me eat he never failed to beg. No matter what he +had himself, he wanted to try everything else that he saw me eat. One +thing in which these apes appear to be wiser than man is, that when +they eat or drink enough to satisfy their wants they quit, while men +sometimes do not. They never drink water or anything else during their +meal, but, having finished it, as a rule they always want something to +drink. The native custom is the same. I have never known the native +African to use any kind of diet drink, but always when he has finished +eating takes a draught of water. + +Moses knew the use of nearly all the tools that I carried with me in +the jungle. He could not use them for the purpose they were intended, +and I do not know to what extent he appreciated their use, but he knew +quite well the manner of using them. I have mentioned the incident of +his using the hammer and nails, but he also knew the way to use the +saw; however, he always applied the back of it, because the teeth were +too rough, but he gave it the motion. When allowed to have it, he would +put the back of it across a stick and saw with the energy of a man on +a big salary. When given a file, he would file everything that came in +his way; and if he had applied himself in learning to talk human speech +as closely and with as much zeal as he tried to use my pliers, he would +have succeeded in a very short time. + +Whether these creatures are actuated by reason or by instinct in such +acts as I have mentioned, the cavillist may settle for himself; but +it accomplishes the purpose of the actor in a logical and practical +manner, and they are perfectly conscious that it does. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +THE LIFE AND DEATH OF MOSES + + +I know of nothing in the way of affection and loyalty among animals +that can exceed that of my devoted Moses. Not only was he tame and +tractable, but he never tired of caressing me, and being caressed by +me. For hours together he would cling to my neck, play with my ears, +lips and nose, bite my cheek, and hug me like a last hope. He was never +willing for me to put him down from my lap, never willing for me to +leave my cage without him, never willing for me to caress anything else +but himself, and never willing for me to discontinue that. He would cry +and fret for me whenever we were separated, and I must confess that my +absence from him during a journey of three weeks, hastened his sad and +untimely death. + +From the second day after we became associated, he appeared to regard +me as the one in authority. He would not resent anything I did to him. +I could take his food out of his hands, which he would permit no one +else to do. He would follow me, and cry after me like a child; and as +time went by his attachment grew stronger and stronger. He gave every +evidence of pleasure at my attentions, and evinced a certain degree +of appreciation and gratitude in return. He would divide any morsel of +food with me, which is, perhaps, the highest test of the affection of +any animal. I cannot say that such an act was genuine benevolence, or +an earnest of affection in a true sense of the term, but nothing except +deep affection or abject fear impels such actions, and certainly fear +was not his motive. + +There were others whom he liked and made himself familiar with; there +were some he feared and others he hated; but his manner towards me +was that of deep affection. It was not alone in return for the food +he received, because my boy gave him food more frequently than I did, +and many others from time to time fed him. His attachment was like an +infatuation that had no apparent motive, was unselfish and supreme. + +The chief purpose of my living among the animals being to study the +sounds they uttered, I gave strict attention to those made by Moses. +For a time it was difficult to detect more than two or three distinct +sounds, but as I grew more and more familiar with them I could detect a +variety of them, and by constantly watching his actions and associating +them with his sounds I learned to interpret certain ones to mean +certain things. + +In the course of my sojourn with him I learned a certain sound that he +always uttered when he saw anything that he was familiar with, such as +a man or a dog, but he could not tell me which of the two it was. If he +saw anything strange to him he could tell me, but not so that I knew +whether it was a snake or a leopard or a monkey, yet I knew that it +was something of that kind. I learned a certain word for food, hunger, +eating, &c., but he could not go into any details about it, except that +a certain sound indicated good or satisfaction, and another meant the +opposite. + +Among the sounds that I learned was one that is used by a chimpanzee +in calling another to come to it. Some of the natives assured me that +the mothers always used it in calling their young to them. When Moses +wandered away from the cage into the jungle, he would sometimes call +me with this sound. I cannot express it in letters of the alphabet, +nor describe it so as to give a very clear idea of its character. It +was a single sound or word of one syllable, and easily imitated by the +human voice. At any time that I wanted Moses to come to me I used this +word, and the fact that he always obeyed it by coming confirmed my +opinion as to its meaning. I do not think when he addressed it to me +that he expected me to come to him, but he perhaps wanted to locate me +in order to be guided back to the cage by the sound. As he grew more +familiar with the surrounding forest he used it less frequently, but he +always employed it in calling me or the boy. When he was called by it +he answered with the same sound; but one fact that we noticed was that +if he could see the one who called he never made any reply by sound. He +would obey it, but not answer it; he probably thought if he could see +the one who called that he could be seen by him, and it was therefore +useless to reply. + +The speech of these animals is very limited, but it is sufficient +for their purpose. It is none the less real because of its being +restricted, but it is more difficult for man to learn, because his +modes of thought are so much more ample and distinct. Yet when one is +reduced to the necessity of making his wants known in a strange tongue, +he can express many things in a very few words. I have once been thrown +among a tribe of whose language I knew less than fifty words, but with +little difficulty I succeeded in conversing with them on two or three +topics. Much depends upon necessity, and more upon practice. In talking +to Moses I mostly used his own language, and was surprised at times to +see how readily we understood each other. I could repeat about all the +sounds he made except one or two, but I was not able in the time we +were together to interpret all of them. These sounds were more than a +mere series of grunts or whines, and he never confused them in their +meaning. When any one of them was properly delivered to him, he clearly +understood and acted upon it. + +It was never any part of my purpose to teach a monkey to talk, but +after I became familiar with the qualities and range of the voice of +Moses, I determined to see if he might not be taught to speak a few +simple words of human speech. To effect this in the easiest way and +shortest time, I carefully observed the movements of his lips and vocal +organs in order to select such words for him to try as were best +adapted to his ability. + +I selected the word _mamma_, which may almost be considered a universal +word of human speech; the French word _feu_, fire; the German word +_wie_, howl, and the native Nkami word _nkgwe_, mother. Every day I +took him on my lap and tried to induce him to say one or more of these +words. For a long time he made no effort to learn them, but after +some weeks of persistent labour and a bribe of corned beef, he began +to see dimly what I wanted him to do. The native word quoted is very +similar to one of the sounds of his own speech, which means "good" or +"satisfaction." The vowel element differs in them, and he was not able +in the time he was under tuition to change them, but he distinguished +them from other words. + +In his attempt to say _mamma_ he only worked his lips without making +any sound, although he really tried to do so, and I believe that in the +course of time he would have succeeded. He observed the movement of +my lips, and tried to imitate them, but seemed to think that the lips +alone produced the sound. + +With _feu_ he succeeded fairly well, except that the consonant element +as he uttered it resembled "v" more than "f," so that the sound was +more like _vu_ making the u short as in "nut." It was quite as perfect +as most people of other tongues ever learn to speak the same word in +French, and if it had been uttered in a sentence, any one knowing that +language would recognise it as meaning fire. + +In his efforts to pronounce _wie_ he always gave the vowel element like +German "u" with the _umlaut_, but the "w" element was more like the +English than the German sound of that letter. + +Taking into consideration the fact that he was only a little more than +a year old, and was in training less than three months, his progress +was all that could have been desired, and vastly more than had been +hoped for. Had he lived until this time, it is my belief that he would +have mastered these and other words of human speech to the satisfaction +of the most exacting linguist. If he had only learned one word in a +whole lifetime, he would have shown at least that the race is capable +of being improved and elevated in some degree. + +Another experiment that I tried with him was one that I had used before +in testing the ability of a monkey to distinguish forms. I cut a round +hole in one end of a board and a square hole in the other, and made a +block to fit into each one of them. The blocks were then given to him +to see if he could fit them into the proper holes. After being shown +a few times how to do this, he fitted them in without difficulty; but +when he was not rewarded for the task by receiving a morsel of corned +beef or a sardine, he did not care to work for the fun alone. + +In colours he had but little choice, unless it was something to eat, +but he could distinguish them with ease if the shades were pronounced. + +I had no means of testing his taste for music or sense of musical +sounds. + +I must here take occasion to mention one incident in the life of Moses +that never perhaps occurred before in the life of any other chimpanzee, +and while it may not be of scientific value, it is at least amusing. + +While living in the jungle, I received a letter enclosing a contract to +be signed by myself and a witness. Having no means of finding a witness +to sign the paper, I called Moses from the bushes, placed him at the +table, gave him a pen and had him sign the document as witness. He +did not write his name himself, as he had not yet mastered the art of +writing, but he made his cross mark between the names, as many a good +man had done before him. I wrote in the blank the name, + + _His_ + "MOSES X NTYIGO" + _mark_; + +the cross mark omitted, and had him with his own hand make the cross as +it is legally done by all people who cannot write. With this signature +the contract was returned in good faith to stand the test of the law +courts of civilisation, and thus for the first time in the history of +the race a chimpanzee signed his name. + +When I prepared to start on a journey across the Esyira country it was +not practicable for me to take Moses along, so I arranged to leave him +in charge of a missionary. Shortly after my departure the man was taken +with fever, and the chimpanzee was left to the care of a native boy +belonging to the mission. The little prisoner was kept confined by a +small rope attached to his cage in order to keep him out of mischief. +It was during the dry season, when the dews are heavy and the nights +chilly, as the winds at that season are fresh and frequent. + +Within a week after leaving him he contracted a severe cold, which soon +developed into acute pulmonary troubles of a complex type, and he began +to decline. After an absence of three weeks and three days, I returned +to find him in a condition beyond the reach of treatment. He was +emaciated to a living skeleton: his eyes were sunken deep into their +orbits, and his steps were feeble and tottering; his voice was hoarse +and piping; his appetite was gone, and he was utterly indifferent to +anything around him. + +During my journey I had secured a companion for him, and when I +disembarked from the canoe, I hastened to him with this new addition +to our little family. I had not been told that he was ill, and was not +prepared to see him looking so ghastly. + +When he discovered me approaching, he rose up and began to call me as +he had been wont to do before I left him, but his weak voice was like +a death-knell to my ears. My heart sunk within me as I saw him trying +to reach out his long, bony arms to welcome my return. Poor, faithful +Moses! I could not repress the tears of pity and regret at this sudden +change, for to me it was the work of a moment. I had last seen him in +the vigour of a strong and robust youth, but now I beheld him in the +decrepitude of a feeble senility. What a transformation! + +I diagnosed his case as well as I was able and began to treat him, +but it was evident that he was too far gone to expect him to recover. +My conscience smote me for having left him, yet I felt that I had not +done wrong. It was not neglect or cruelty for me to leave him while I +went in pursuit of the chief object of my search, and I had no cause +to reproach myself for having done so. But emotions that are stirred +by such incidents are not to be controlled by reason or hushed by +argument, and the pain that it caused me was more than I can tell. + +If I had done wrong, the only restitution possible for me to make was +to nurse him patiently and tenderly to the end, or till health and +strength should return. This was conscientiously done, and I have the +comfort of knowing that the last sad days of his life were soothed +by every care that kindness could suggest. Hour after hour during +that time he lay silent and content upon my lap. That appeared to be +a panacea to all his pains. He would roll his dark brown eyes up and +look into my face, as if to be assured that I had been restored to him. +With his long fingers he stroked my face as if to say that he was again +happy. He took the medicines I gave him as if he knew their purpose and +effect. + +His suffering was not intense, but he bore it like a philosopher. He +seemed to have some vague idea of his own condition, but I do not know +that he foresaw the result. He lingered on from day to day for a whole +week, slowly sinking and growing feebler, but his love for me was +manifest to the last, and I dare confess that I returned it with all my +heart. + +Is it wrong that I should requite such devotion and fidelity with +reciprocal emotion? No. I should not deserve the love of any creature +if I were indifferent to the love of Moses. That affectionate little +creature had lived with me in the dismal shadows of that primeval +forest for so many long days and dreary nights; had romped and played +with me when far away from the pleasures of home, and had been a +constant friend alike through sunshine and storm. To say that I did not +love him would be to confess myself an ingrate unworthy of my race. + +The last spark of life passed away in the night. It was not attended by +acute pain or struggling, but, falling into a deep and quiet sleep, he +woke no more. + +Moses will live in history. He deserves to do so, because he was the +first of his race that ever spoke a word of human speech; because he +was the first that ever conversed in his own language with a human +being; and because he was the first that ever signed his name to any +document; and Fame will not deny him a niche in her temple among the +heroes who have led the races of the world. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +AARON + + +Having arranged my affairs in Fernan Vaz so as to make a journey across +the great forest that lies to the south of the Nkami country and +separates it from that of the Esyira tribe, I set out by canoe to a +point on the Rembo about three days from the place where I had so long +lived in my cage. At a village called Tyimba I disembarked, and after a +journey of five days and a delay of three more days caused by an attack +of fever, I arrived at a trading station near the head of a small river +called Ndogo. It empties into the sea at Sette Kama, about four degrees +south of the equator. The trading post is about a hundred miles inland, +at a native village called Ntyi-ne-nye-ni, which, strange to say, means +in the native tongue, "Some other place." + +[Illustration: TRADING STATION IN THE INTERIOR] + +About the time I reached here, two Esyira hunters came from a distant +village, and brought with them a smart young chimpanzee of the +kind known in that country as the _kulu-kamba_. He was quite the +finest specimen of his race that I have ever seen. His frank, open +countenance, big brown eyes and shapely physique, free from mark or +blemish of any kind, would attract the notice of any one who was not +absolutely stupid. + +It is not derogatory to the memory of Moses that I should say this, +nor does it lessen my affection for him. Our passions are not moved +by visible forces nor measured by fixed units: they disdain all laws +of logic, and spurn the narrow bounds of reason; they obey no code of +ethics that can be defined, and conform to no theory of action. + +As soon as I saw this little ape I expressed a desire to own him, so +the trader in charge bought him and presented him to me. As it was +intended that he should be the friend and ally of Moses, although not +his brother, we conferred upon him the name of Aaron, as the two names +are so intimately associated in history that the mention of one always +suggests the other. + +Aaron was captured in the Esyira jungle by these same hunters, about +one day's journey from the place where I secured him; and in this event +began a series of sad scenes in the brief but varied life of this +little hero that seldom come within the experience of any creature. + +At the time of his capture his mother was killed in the act of +defending him from the cruel hunters, and when she fell to the earth, +mortally wounded, this brave little fellow stood by her trembling body, +defending it against her slayers, until he was overcome by superior +force, seized by his captors, bound with strips of bark, and carried +away into captivity. + +No human can refrain from admiring his conduct in this act, whether it +was prompted by the instinct of self-preservation or by a sentiment of +loyalty to his mother, for he was exercising that prime law of nature +which actuates all creatures to defend themselves against attack, and +his wild, young heart throbbed with like sensations to those of a human +under a like ordeal. + +I do not wish to appear sentimental by offering a rebuke to those who +indulge in the sport of hunting, but much cruelty could be obviated +without losing any of the pleasure of the hunt, and I have always made +it a rule to spare the mother with her young. Whether animals feel +the same degree of mental and physical pain as man or not, they do, +in these tragic moments, evince a certain amount of concern for one +another, which imparts a tinge of sympathy that must appeal to any one +who is not devoid of every sense of mercy. + +It is true that it is often difficult, and sometimes impossible, +to secure the young by other means; but the manner of getting them +often mars the pleasure of having them, and while Aaron was, to me, a +charming pet and a valuable subject for study, I confess the story of +his capture always touched me in a tender spot. + +I may here mention that the few chimpanzees that reach the civilised +parts of the world are but a small percentage of the great number that +are captured. Some die on their way to the coast, others die after +reaching it, and scores of them die on board the ships to which they +are consigned for various ports of Europe and other countries. It is +not often from neglect or cruelty, but usually from a change of food, +climate, or condition, yet the creature suffers just the same whether +the cause is from design or accident. One fruitful source of death +among them is pulmonary trouble of various types. + +One look at the portrait of Aaron will impress any one with the high +mental qualities of this little captive, but to see and study him in +life would convince a heretic of his superior character. In every look +and gesture there was a touch of the human that no one could fail to +observe. The range of facial expression surpassed that of any other +animal I have ever studied. In repose, his quaint face wore a look of +wisdom becoming to a sage; while in play it was crowned with a grin of +genuine mirth. The deep, searching look he gave to a stranger was a +study for the psychologist, while the serious, earnest look of inquiry +when he was perplexed would amuse a stoic. All these changing moods +were depicted in his mobile face, with such intensity as to leave +no room to doubt the activity of certain faculties of the mind in a +degree far beyond that of animals in general; and his conduct, in many +instances, showed the exercise of mental powers of a higher order than +that limited agency known as instinct. + +In addition to these facts, his voice was of better quality and more +flexible than that of any other specimen I have ever known. It was +clear and smooth in uttering sounds of any pitch within its scope, +while the voices of most of them are inclined to be harsh or husky, +especially in sounds of high pitch. + +Before leaving the village where I secured him, I made a kind of sling +for him to be carried in. It consisted of a short canvas sack with +two holes cut in the bottom for his legs to pass through. To the top +of this was attached a broad band of the same cloth by which to hang +it over the head of the carrier boy to whom the little prisoner was +consigned. This afforded the ape a comfortable seat, and at the same +time reduced the labour of carrying him. It left his arms and legs +free, so he could change his position and rest, while it also allowed +the boy the use of his own hands in passing any difficult place in the +jungle along the way. + +[Illustration: PLAIN AND EDGE OF THE FOREST] + +From there to the Rembo was a journey of five days on foot. Along the +way were a few straggling villages, but most of the route lay through +a wild and desolate forest, traversed by low broad marshes, through +which wind shallow sloughs of filthy greenish water, seeking its way +among bending roots and fallen leaves. From the foul bosom of these +marshes rise the effluvia of decaying plants, breeding pestilence and +death. Here and there across the dreary tracts is found the trail +of elephants, where the great beasts have broken their tortuous way +through the dense barriers of bush and vine. These trails serve as +roads for the native traveller, and afford the only way of crossing +these otherwise trackless jungles. + +The only means of passing these dismal swamps is to wade through the +thin slimy mud, often more than knee-deep, and sometimes extending many +hundred feet in width, intercepted at almost every step by the tangled +roots of mangrove-trees under foot, or clusters of vines hanging from +the boughs overhead. + +Such was the route we came, but Aaron did not realise how severe the +task of his carrier was in trudging his way through such places, and +the little rogue often added to the labour by seizing hold of limbs +or vines that hung within his reach in passing, and thus retarded the +progress of the boy, who strongly protested against the ape amusing +himself in this manner. The latter seemed to know of no reason why he +should not do so, and the former did not deign to give one, and so the +quarrel went on until we reached the river, but by that time each of +them had imbibed a hatred for the other that nothing in the future ever +allayed. Neither of them ever forgot it while they were associated, +and both of them evinced their aversion on all occasions. The boy gave +vent to his dislike by making ugly faces at the ape, which the latter +resented by screaming and trying to bite him. Aaron refused to eat any +food given him by the boy, and the boy would not give him a morsel +except when required to do so. At times the feud became ridiculous, and +it only ended in their final separation. The last time I ever saw the +boy I asked him if he wanted to go with me to my country to take care +of Aaron, but he shook his head, and said, "He's a bad man." + +This was the only person for whom I ever knew Aaron to conceive a deep +and bitter dislike, but the boy he hated with his whole heart. + +On my return to Fernan Vaz, where I had left Moses, I found him in a +feeble state of health as related elsewhere. When Aaron was set down +before him, he merely gave the little stranger a casual glance, but +held out his long lean arms for me to take him in mine. His wish was +gratified, and I indulged him in a long stroll. When we returned I +set him down by the side of his new friend, who evinced every sign of +pleasure and interest. He was like a small boy when there is a new baby +in the house. He cuddled up close to Moses and made many overtures to +become friends, but while the latter did not repel them he treated them +with indifference. Aaron tried in many ways to attract his attention, +or to elicit some sign of approval, but it was in vain. + +No doubt the manners of Moses were due to his health, and Aaron seemed +to realise it. He sat for a long time, holding a banana in his hand, +and looking with evident concern into the face of his little sick +cousin. At length he lifted the fruit to the lips of the invalid and +uttered a low sound, but the kindness was not accepted. The act was +purely one of his own volition, in which he was not prompted by any +suggestion from others, and every look and motion indicated a desire to +relieve or comfort his friend. His manner was gentle and humane, and +his face was an image of pity. + +Failing to get any sign of attention from Moses, he moved up closer to +his side and put his arms around him in the same manner that he is seen +in the picture with Elisheba. + +During the days that followed, he sat hour after hour in this same +attitude, and refused to allow any one except myself to touch his +patient; but on my approach he always resigned him to me, while he +watched with interest to see what I did for him. + +Among other things, I gave him a tabloid of quinine and iron twice +a day. These were dissolved in a little water and given to him in a +small tin cup which was kept for the purpose. When not in use, it was +hung upon a tall post. Aaron soon learned to know the use of it, and +whenever I would go to Moses, he would climb up the post and bring me +the cup to administer the medicine. + +It is not to be inferred that he knew anything about the nature or +effect of the medicine, but he knew the use, and the only use, to which +that cup was put. + +During the act of administering the medicine, Aaron displayed a marked +interest in the matter, and seemed to realise that it was intended for +the good of the patient. He would sit close up to one side of the sick +one and watch every movement of his face, as if to see what effect +was being produced, while the changing expressions of his own visage +plainly showed that he was not passive to the actions of the patient. + +While I was present with the sick one, Aaron appeared to feel a certain +sense of relief from the care of him, and frequently went climbing +about as if to rest and recreate himself by a change of routine. While +I would take Moses for a walk, or sit with him on my lap, his little +nurse was perfectly content; but the instant they were left alone, +Aaron would again fold him in his arms as if he felt it a duty to do so. + +It was only natural that Moses, in such a state of health, should +be cross and peevish at times, as people in a like condition are; +but during the time I never once saw Aaron resent anything he did, +or display the least ill-temper towards him, but, on the contrary, +his conduct was so patient and forbearing that it was hard to forego +the belief that it was prompted by the same motives of kindness and +sympathy that move the human heart to deeds of tenderness and mercy. + +At night, when they were put to rest, they lay cuddled up in each +other's arms, and in the morning they were always found in the same +close embrace; but on the morning Moses died, the conduct of Aaron was +unlike anything I had observed before. When I approached their snug +little house and drew aside the curtain, I found him sitting in one +corner of the cage. His face wore a look of concern as if he was aware +that something awful had occurred. When I opened the door, he neither +moved nor uttered any sound. I do not know whether or not they have any +name for death, but they surely know what it is. + +Moses was dead. His cold body lay in its usual place, but was +entirely covered over with the piece of canvas kept in the cage for +bed-clothing. I do not know whether Aaron had covered him up or not, +but he seemed to realise the situation. I took him by the hand and +lifted him out of the cage, but he was reluctant. I had the body +removed and placed on a bench about thirty feet away, in order to +dissect and prepare the skin and skeleton to preserve them. When I +proceeded to do this, I had Aaron confined to the cage, lest he should +annoy and hinder me at the work; but he cried and fretted until he was +released. + +It is not meant that he wept or shed tears over the loss of his +companion, for the lachrymal glands and ducts are not developed in +these apes; but they manifest concern and regret which are motives of +the passion of sorrow, but being left alone was the cause of this. + +When released, he came and took his seat near the dead body, where he +sat the whole day long and watched the operation. + +After this he was never quiet for a moment if he could see or hear me, +until I secured another of his kind for a companion; then his interest +in me abated in a measure, but his affection for me remained intact. + +His conduct towards Moses always impressed me with the belief that he +appreciated the fact that he was in distress or pain, and while he may +not have foreseen the result, he certainly knew what death was when he +saw it. Whether it is instinct or reason that causes man to shrink from +death, the same influence works to the same end in the ape; and the +demeanour of this same ape towards his later companion, Elisheba, only +confirmed the opinion. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +AARON AND ELISHEBA + + +Four days after the death of Moses I secured a passage on a +trading-boat that came into the lake. It was a small affair, intended +for towing canoes, and not in any way prepared to carry passengers +or cargo; but I found room in one of the canoes to set the cage I +had provided for Aaron, stowed the rest of my effects wherever space +permitted, and embarked for the coast. + +Our progress was slow and the journey tedious, as the only passage +out of the lake at that season was through a long, narrow, winding +creek, beset by sand-bars, rocks, logs, and snags, and in some places +overhung by low, bending trees. But the wild, weird scenery was grand +and beautiful. Long lines of bamboo, broken here and there by groups +of pendanus or stately palms; islands of lilies and long sweeps of +papyrus, spreading away from the banks on either side; the gorgeous +foliage of aquatic plants drooping along the margin like a massive +fringe, and relieved by clumps of tall, waving grass, formed a perfect +Eden for the birds and monkeys that dwell among those scenes of an +eternal summer. + +After a delay of eight days at Cape Lopez, we secured passage on a +small French gunboat, called the _Komo_, by which we came to Gaboon, +where I found another _kulu-kamba_ in the hands of a generous friend, +Mr. Adolph Strohm, who presented her to me; and I gave her to Aaron +as a wife, and called her Elisheba, after the name of the wife of the +great high-priest. + +Elisheba was captured on the head-waters of the Mguni river, in about +the same latitude that Aaron was found in, but more than a hundred +miles to the east of that point and a few minutes north of it. I did +not learn the history of her capture. + +It would be difficult to find any two human beings more unlike in +taste and temperament than these two apes were. Aaron was one of the +most amiable of creatures; he was affectionate and faithful to those +who treated him kindly; he was merry and playful by nature, and often +evinced a marked sense of humour; he was fond of human society, and +strongly averse to solitude or confinement. + +Elisheba was a perfect shrew, and often reminded me of certain women +that I have seen who had soured on the world. She was treacherous, +ungrateful, and cruel in every thought and act; she was utterly devoid +of affection; she was selfish, sullen, and morose at all times; she was +often vicious and always obstinate; she was indifferent to caresses, +and quite as well content when alone as in the best of company. + +[Illustration: A NATIVE CANOE] + +It is true that she was in poor health, and had been badly treated +before she fell into my hands, but she was by nature endowed with a +bad temper and depraved instincts. + +It is not at all rare to see a vast difference of manners, +intelligence, and temperament among specimens that belong to one +species. In these respects they vary as much in proportion to their +mental scope as human beings do; but I have never seen, in any two +apes of the same species, the two extremes so widely removed from one +another. + +While waiting at Gaboon for a steamer I had my own cage erected for +them to live in, as it was large and gave them ample room for play and +exercise. In one corner of it was suspended a small, cosy house for +them to sleep in. It was furnished with a good supply of clean straw +and some pieces of canvas for bed-clothes. In the centre of the cage +was a swing, or trapeze, for them to use at their pleasure. + +Aaron found this a means of amusement, and often indulged in a series +of gymnastics that would evoke the envy of the king of athletic sports. +Elisheba had no taste for such pastime, but her depravity could never +resist the impulse to interrupt him in his jolly exercise. She would +climb up and contend for possession of the swing until she would drive +him away, when she would perch herself on it and sit there for a time +in stolid content, but would neither swing nor play. + +Frequently, when Aaron would lie down quietly on the straw during the +day, she would go into the snug little house and raise a row with him +by pulling the straw from under him, handful at a time, and throwing +it out of the box till there was not one left in it. + +No matter what kind or quantity of food was given them, she always +wanted the piece he had, and would fuss with him to get it; but when +she got it, she would sit holding it in her hand without eating it, for +there were some things that he liked which she would not eat at all. + +When we went out for a walk, no matter which way we started she always +contended to go some other way; and if I yielded, she would again +change her mind, and start off in some other direction. If forced to +submit, she would scream and struggle as if for life. + +I cannot forego the belief that these freaks were due to a base and +perverse nature, and I could find no higher motive in her stubborn +conduct. + +Aaron was very fond of her, and rarely ever opposed her inflexible +will. He clung to her, and let her lead the way. I have often felt +vexed at him because he complied so readily with her wishes. + +The only case in which he took sides against her was in her conduct +towards me. + +When I first secured her she had the temper of a demon, and with the +smallest pretext she would assault me and try to bite me or tear my +clothes. In these attacks Aaron was always with me, and the loyal +little champion would fly at her in the greatest fury. He would strike +her over the head and back with his hands, bite her, and flog her till +she desisted. If she returned the blow he would grasp her hand and +bite it, or strike her in the face. He would continue to fight till she +submitted, when he would celebrate his victory by jumping up and down +in a most grotesque fashion, stamping his feet, slapping his hands on +the ground, and grinning like a mask. He seemed as conscious of what he +had done and as proud of it as any human could have been; but no matter +what she did to others, he was always on her side of the question. If +any one else annoyed her, he would always resent it with violence. + +About the premises there were natives all the time passing to and fro, +and these two little captives were objects of special interest to them. +They would stand by the cage hour after hour and watch them. The ruling +impulse of nearly every native appears to be cruelty, and they cannot +resist the temptation to tease and torture anything that is not able +to retaliate. They were so persistent in poking my chimpanzees with +sticks, that I had to keep a boy on watch all the time to prevent it; +but the boy could not be trusted, so I had to watch him. + +In the rear of the room that I occupied was a window through which +I watched the boy and the natives both from time to time, and when +anything went wrong I would call out from there to the boy. Aaron soon +observed this, and found that he could get my attention himself by +calling out when any one annoyed him, and he also knew that the boy +was put there as a protector. Whenever any of the natives came about +the cage he would call for me in his peculiar manner, which I well +understood and promptly responded to. The boy also knew what it meant, +and would rush to the rescue. If I were away from the house and the boy +was aware of the fact, he was apt to be tardy in coming to the relief +of the ape, and sometimes did not come at all, in which event the two +would crawl into their house and pull down the curtain so that they +could not be seen. Here they would remain until the natives would leave +or some one came to their aid. Neither of them ever resented anything +the natives did to them unless they could see me about, but whenever +I came in sight they would make battle with their tormentors, and if +liberated from the big cage, they would chase the last one of them out +of the yard. + +Aaron knew perfectly well that they were not allowed to molest him or +his companion, and when he knew that he had my support he was ready +to carry on the war to a finish. But it was really funny to see how +meek and patient he was when left alone to defend himself against the +natives with a stick, and then to note the change in him when he knew +that he was backed up by a friend upon whom he could rely. + +Mr. Strohm, the trader with whom I found hospitality at this place, +kept a cow in the lot where the cage was. She was a small black animal, +and the first that Aaron had ever seen. He never ceased to contemplate +her with wonder and with fear. If she came near the cage when no one +was about he hurried into his box, and from there peeped out in silence +until she went away. The cow was equally amazed at the cage and its +strange occupants, though less afraid, and frequently came near to +inspect them. She would stand a few yards away with her head lifted +high, her eyes arched and ears thrown forward, waiting for them to come +out of that mysterious box; but they would not venture out of their +asylum while she remained, until tired of waiting she would switch her +tail, shake her head, and turn away. + +When taken out of the cage, Aaron had special delight in driving the +cow away, and if she was around he would grasp me by the hand and start +towards her. He would stamp the ground with his foot, strike with all +force with his long arm, slap the ground with his hand, and scream at +her at the top of his voice. If she moved away, he would let go my +hand and rush towards her as though he intended to tear her up; but if +the cow turned suddenly towards him, the little fraud would run to me, +grasp my leg, and scream with fright. + +The cow was afraid of a man, and as long as she was followed by one +she would continue to go; but when she would discover the ape to be +alone in the pursuit, she would turn and look as if trying to determine +what manner of thing it was. Elisheba never seemed to take any special +notice of the cow except when she approached too near the cage, and +then it was due to the conduct of Aaron that she made any fuss about +it. + +On board the steamer that we sailed in for home, there was a young +elephant that was sent by a trader for sale. He was kept in a strong +stall, built on deck for his quarters. There were wide cracks between +the boards, and the elephant had the habit of reaching his trunk +through them in search of anything he might find. With his long, +flexible proboscis extended from the side of the stall, he would twist +and coil it in all manner of writhing forms. This was the crowning +terror of the lives of those two apes: it was the bogie-man of their +existence, and nothing could induce either of them to go near it. If +they saw me go about it, they would scream and yell until I came away. +If Aaron could get hold of me without getting too near it, he would +cling to me until he would almost tear my clothes to keep me away from +it. It was the one thing that Elisheba was afraid of, and the only one +against which she ever gave me warning. + +They did not manifest the same concern for others, but sat watching +them without offering any protest. Even the stowaway who fed them +and attended to their cage was permitted to approach it, but their +solicitude for me was remarked by every man on board. + +I was never able to tell what their opinion was of the thing. They were +much less afraid of the elephant when they could see all of him, than +they were of the trunk when they saw that alone. They may have thought +the latter to be a big snake, but such is only conjecture. + +At the beginning of the voyage I took six panels of my own cage and +made a small cage for them. I taught them to drink water from a +beer-bottle with a long neck that could be put through a mesh of the +wires. They preferred this mode of drinking, and appeared to look upon +it as an advanced idea. Elisheba always insisted on being served first, +and being a female her wish was complied with. When she had finished, +Aaron would climb up by the wires and take his turn. There is a certain +sound or word which the chimpanzee always uses to express "good" or +"satisfaction," and he made frequent use of it. He would drink a few +swallows of the water and then utter the sound, whereupon Elisheba +would climb up again and taste it. She seemed to think it was something +better than she was drinking, but finding it the same as she had had, +she would again give way for him. Every time he would use the sound she +would take another taste and turn away, but she never failed to try it +if he uttered the sound. + +The boy who cared for them on the voyage was disposed to play tricks on +them, and one of these ugly pranks was to turn the bottle up so that +when they had finished drinking and took their lips away, the water +would spill out and run down over them. For a time or two they declined +to drink from the bottle while he was holding it, but when he let it +go it would hang in such a position that they could not get the water +out of it at all. At length Aaron solved the problem by climbing up +one side of the cage, and getting on a level with the bottle, reached +across the angle formed by the two sides of the cage and drank. In +this position it was no matter to him how much the water ran out, it +couldn't touch him. Elisheba watched him until she quite grasped the +idea, when she climbed up in the same manner and slaked her thirst. + +I scolded the boy for serving them with such cruel tricks, but it +taught me another lesson of value concerning the mental resources of +the chimpanzee, for no philosopher could have found a much better +scheme to obviate the trouble than did this cunning little sage in the +hour of necessity. + +I have never regarded the training of animals as the true measure of +their mental powers, but the real test is to reduce the animal to his +own resources, and see how he will render himself under conditions that +present new problems. Animals may be taught to do many things in a +mechanical way, and without any motive that relates to the action; but +when they can work out the solution without the aid of man, it is only +the faculty of reason that can guide them. + +One thing that Aaron could never figure out was what became of the +chimpanzee that he saw in a mirror. I have seen him hunt for that +mysterious ape for an hour at a time, and he broke a piece off a mirror +I had in trying to find it, but he never succeeded. + +I have held the glass firmly before him, and he would put his face up +close to it, sometimes almost in contact. He would quietly gaze at the +image, and then reach his hand around the glass to feel for it. Not +finding it, he would peep around the side of it and then look into +it again. He would take hold of it and turn it around; lay it on the +ground, look at the image again, and put his hand under the edge of +it. The look of inquiry in that quaint face was so striking as to make +one pity him. But he was hard to discourage, and continued the search +whenever he had the mirror. + +Elisheba never worried herself much about it. When she saw the image +in the glass she seemed to recognise it as one of her kind, but when +it would vanish she let it go without trying to find it. In fact, she +often turned away from it as though she did not admire it. She rarely +ever took hold of the glass, and never felt behind it for the other ape. + +Altogether she was an odd specimen of her tribe, eccentric and +whimsical beyond anything I have ever known among animals, yet with all +her freaks Aaron was fond of her, and she afforded him company; but he +was extremely jealous of her, and permitted no stranger to take any +liberties with her with impunity. He did not object to them doing so +with him, and rarely took offence at any degree of familiarity, for he +would make friends with any one who was gentle with him, but he could +not tolerate their doing so with her. + +She betrayed no sign of affection for him except when some one annoyed +or vexed him, but in that event she never failed to take his part +against all odds. At such times she would become frantic with rage, +and if the cause was prolonged, she would often refuse to eat for hours +afterwards. + +On the voyage homeward, there was another chimpanzee on board, +belonging to a sailor who was bringing him home for sale. He was about +two years older than Aaron and fully twice as large. He was tame and +gentle, but was kept in a close cage to himself. He saw the others +roaming about the deck and tried to make up with them, but they evinced +no desire to become intimate with one who was confined in such a manner. + +One bright Sunday morning, as we rode the calm waters near the Canary +Islands, I induced the sailor to release his prisoner on the main deck +with my own, and see how they would act towards each other. He did so, +and in a moment the big ape came ambling along the deck towards Aaron +and Elisheba, who were sitting on the top of a hatch and absorbed in +gnawing some turkey bones. + +As the stranger came near he slackened his pace and gazed earnestly +at the others. Aaron ceased eating and stared at the visitor with a +look of surprise, but Elisheba barely noticed him. He scanned Aaron +from head to foot, and Aaron did the same with him. He advanced until +his nose almost touched that of Aaron, and in this position the two +remained for some seconds, when the big one proceeded to salute +Elisheba in the same manner, but she gave him little attention. She +continued to gnaw the bone in her hand, and he had no reason to feel +flattered at the impression he appeared to have made on her. + +Aaron watched him with deep concern, but without uttering a sound. + +Turning again to Aaron, he reached out for his turkey bone; but the +hospitality of the little host was not equal to the demand, and he drew +back with a shrug of his shoulder, holding the bone closer to himself +and then resumed eating. + +A bone was then given to the visitor by a steward, and he climbed +upon the hatch and took a seat on the right of Elisheba, while Aaron +was seated to her left. As soon as the big one had taken his seat, +Aaron resigned his place and crowded himself in between them. The +three sat for a few moments in this order, when the big one got up and +deliberately walked around to the other side of Elisheba and sat down +again beside her. Again Aaron forced himself in between them. + +This act was repeated six or eight times, when Elisheba left the hatch +and took a seat on a spar that lay on deck. The big ape immediately +moved over and sat down near her; but by the time he was seated Aaron +again got in between them, and as he did so he struck his rival a smart +blow on the back. They sat in this manner for a minute or so, when +Aaron drew back his hand and struck him again. He continued his blows +all the while, increasing them in force and frequency, but the other +did not resent them. His manner was one of dignified contempt, as if +he regarded the inferior strength of his assailant unworthy of his own +prowess. + +It would be absurd to suppose that he was constrained by any principle +of honour, but his demeanour was patronising and forbearing, like that +of a considerate man towards a small boy. + +One amusing feature of the affair was the half-serious and half-jocular +manner of Aaron. He did not turn his face to look at his rival as he +struck, and the instant the blow was delivered he withdrew his hand +as if to avoid being detected. He gave no sign of anger, but made no +effort to conceal his jealousy, and the other seemed to be aware of +the cause of his disquietude. The smirk of indifference on the little +lover's face belied the state of mind that impelled his action, and it +was patent to all who witnessed the tilt that Aaron was jealous of his +guest. + +From time to time Elisheba would change her seat, when the same scene +would ensue. + +The whole affair was comical and yet so real, that one could not +repress the laughter it evoked. It was the drama of "love's young +dream" in real life, in which every man, at some period of his young +career, has played each part the same as these two rivals. Every detail +of plot and line was the duplicate of a like incident in the experience +of boyhood. + +[Illustration: AARON AND ELISHEBA] + +Elisheba did not appear to encourage the suit of this simian beau, but +she did not rebuff him as a true and faithful spouse should do, and +I never blamed Aaron for not liking it. She had no right to tolerate +the attentions of a total stranger; but she was feminine, and perhaps +endowed with all the vanity of her sex and fond of adulation. + +However, my sympathies for the devoted little Aaron were too strong for +me to permit him to be imposed upon by a rival, who was twice as big +and three times as strong as he was, so I took him and Elisheba away on +the after deck, where they had a good time alone. + +Elisheba was never very much devoted to me, but in the early part of +her career she began to realise the fact that I was her master and her +friend. She had no gratitude in her nature, but she had sense enough to +see that all her food and comfort were due to me, and as a matter of +policy she became submissive, but never tractable. She was doubtless a +plebeian among her own race, and was not capable of being brought up +to a high standard of culture. She could not be controlled by kindness +alone, for she was by nature sordid and perverse. I was never cruel +or severe in dealing with her, but it was necessary to be strict and +firm. Her poor health, however, often caused me to indulge her in whims +that otherwise would have brought her under a more rigid discipline; +and the patient conduct of Aaron appeared to be tempered by the same +consideration. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +THE DEATH OF AARON AND ELISHEBA + + +At the end of forty-two long days at sea we arrived at Liverpool. It +was near the end of autumn. The weather was cold and foggy. Elisheba +was failing in health, as I feared she would do in coming from the +warm, humid climate along the equator, and, at the same time, having to +undergo a change of food. + +On arriving at the end of our long and arduous voyage, I secured +quarters for them, and quickly had them stowed away in a warm, sunny +cage. Elisheba began to recover from the fatigue and worry of the +journey, and for a time was more cheerful than she had been since I had +known her. Her appetite returned, the symptoms of fever passed away, +and she seemed benefited by the voyage rather than injured. Aaron was +in the best of health, and had shown no signs of any evil results from +the trip. + +On reaching the landing-stage in Liverpool, some friends who met us +there expressed a desire to see them, and I opened their cage in the +waiting-room for that purpose. When they beheld the throng of huge +figures with white faces, long skirts and big coats, they were almost +frantic with fear. They had never before seen anything like it, and +they crouched back in the corner of the cage, clinging to each other +and screaming in terror. + +When they saw me standing by them they rushed to me, seized me by the +legs, and climbed up to my arms. Finding they were safe here, they +stared for a moment, as if amazed at the crowd, and then Elisheba +buried her face under my chin, and refused to look at any one. They +were both trembling with fright, and I could scarcely get them into +their cage again; but after they were installed in their quarters with +Dr. Cross, they became reconciled to the sight of strangers in such +costumes. + +In their own country they had never seen anything like this, for the +natives to whom they were accustomed wear no clothing as a rule, except +a small piece of cloth tied round the waist, and the few white men +they had seen were mostly dressed in white; but here was a great crowd +in skirts and overcoats, and I have no doubt that to them it was a +startling sight for the first time. + +During the first two weeks after arriving at this place, Elisheba +improved in health and temper until she was not like the same creature; +but about that time she contracted a severe cold. A deep, dry cough, +attended by pains in the chest and sides, together with a piping +hoarseness, betrayed the nature of her disease, and gave just cause for +apprehension. + +During frequent paroxysms of coughing she pressed her hands upon +her breast or side to arrest the shock, and thus lessen the pain it +caused. When quiet, she sat holding her hands on her throat, her head +bowed down, and her eyes drooping or closed. Day by day the serpent of +disease drew his deadly coils closer and closer about her wasting form, +but she bore it with a patience worthy of a human being. + +The sympathy and forbearance of Aaron were again called into action, +and the demand was not in vain. Hour after hour he sat with her locked +in his arms, as he is seen in the portrait given herewith. He was not +posing for a picture, nor was he aware how deeply his manners touched +the human heart. Even the brawny men who work about the place paused to +watch him in his tender offices to her, and his staid keeper was moved +to pity by his kindness and his patience. + +For days she lingered on the verge of death. She became too feeble to +sit up, but as she lay on her bed of straw, he sat by her side, resting +his folded arms upon her, and refusing to allow any one to touch her. +His look of deep concern showed that he felt the gravity of her case, +in a degree that bordered on grief. He was grave and silent, as if he +foresaw the sad end that was near at hand. My frequent visits were a +source of comfort to him, and he evinced a pleasure in my coming that +bespoke his confidence in me and faith in my ability to relieve his +suffering companion; but, alas! she was beyond the aid of human skill. + +On the morning of her decease, I found him sitting by her as usual. +At my approach he quietly rose to his feet, and advanced to the front +of the cage. Opening the door, I put my arm in and caressed him. He +looked into my face, and then at the prostrate form of his mate. The +last dim sparks of life were not yet gone out, as the slight motion of +the breast betrayed, but the limbs were cold and limp. While I leaned +over to examine more closely, he crouched down by her side and watched +with deep concern to see the result. I laid my hand upon her heart to +ascertain if the last hope was gone; he looked at me, and then placed +his own hand by the side of mine, and held it there as if he knew the +purport of the act. + +Of course, to him this had no real meaning, but it was an index to the +desire which prompted it. He seemed to think that anything that I did +would be good for her, and his purpose, doubtless, was to aid me. When +I removed my hand, he removed his; when I returned mine, he did the +same; and to the last gave evidence of his faith in my friendship and +good intentions. His ready approval of anything I did showed that he +had a vague idea of my purpose. + +At length the breast grew still and the feeble beating of the heart +ceased. The lips were parted and the dim eyes were half-way closed, +but he sat by as if she were asleep. The sturdy keeper came to remove +the body from the cage; but Aaron clung to it, and refused to allow +him to touch it. I took the little mourner in my arms, but he watched +the keeper jealously, and did not want him to remove or disturb the +body. It was laid on a bunch of straw in front of the cage and he +was returned to his place, but he clung to me so firmly that it was +difficult to release his hold. He cried in a piteous tone, fretted and +worried, as if he fully realised the worst. The body was then removed +from view, but poor little Aaron was not consoled. How I pitied him! +How I wished that he was again in his native land, where he might find +friends of his own race! + +After this, he grew more attached to me than ever, and when I went to +visit him he was happy and cheerful in my presence; but the keeper said +that while I was away he was often gloomy and morose. As long as he +could see me or hear my voice, he would fret and cry for me to come to +him. When I would leave him, he would scream as long as he had any hope +of inducing me to return. + +A few days after the death of Elisheba, the keeper put a young monkey +in the cage with him for company. This gave him some relief from the +monotony of his own society, but never quite filled the place of the +lost one. With this little friend, however, he amused himself in many +ways. He nursed it so zealously and hugged it so tightly that the poor +little monkey was often glad to escape from him in order to have a +rest. But the task of catching it again afforded him almost as much +pleasure as he found in nursing it. + +Thus he passed his time for a few weeks, when he was seized by a sudden +cold, which in a few days developed into an acute type of pneumonia. + +I was in London at the time and was not aware of this, but, feeling +anxious about him, I wrote to Dr. Cross, in whose care he was left, +and received a note in reply, stating that Aaron was very ill, and not +expected to live. I prepared to go to visit him the next day, but just +before I left the hotel I received a telegram stating that he was dead. + +The news contained in the letter was a greater shock to me than that in +the telegram, for which, in part, the former had prepared me; but no +one can imagine how deeply these evil tidings affected me. I could not +bring myself to a full sense of the fact. I was unwilling to believe +that I was thus deprived of my devoted friend. I could not realise that +fate would be so cruel to me; but, alas! it was true. + +Not being present during his short illness or at the time of his death, +I cannot relate any of the scenes attending them; but the kind old +keeper who attended him declares that he never became reconciled to the +death of Elisheba, and that his loneliness preyed upon him almost as +much as the disease. + +When I looked upon his cold, lifeless body, I felt that I was indeed +bereft of one of the dearest and one of the most loyal pets that any +mortal had ever known. His fidelity to me had been shown in a hundred +ways, and his affections had never wavered. How could any one requite +such integrity with anything unkind? + +To those who possess the higher instincts of humanity, it will not be +thought absurd in me to confess that the conduct of these creatures +awoke in me a feeling more exalted than a mere sense of kindness. It +touched some chord of nature that yields a richer tone; but only those +who have known such pets as I have known them can feel towards them as +I have felt. + +I have no desire to bias the calm judgment or bribe the sentiment of +him who scorns the love of nature, by clothing these humble creatures +in the garb of human dignity; but to him who is not so imbued with +self-conceit as to be blind to all evidence and deaf to all reason, it +must appear that they are gifted with like faculties and passions to +those of man; differing in degree, but not in kind. + +Moved by such conviction, who could fail to pity that poor, lone +captive, in his iron cell, far from his native land, slowly dying? It +may be a mere freak of sentiment that I regret not being with him to +soothe and comfort his last hours, but I do regret it deeply. He had +the right to expect it of me, as a duty. + +Poor little Aaron! In the brief span of half a year he had seen his own +mother die at the hands of the cruel hunters; he had been seized and +sold into captivity; he had seen the lingering torch of life go out of +the frail body of Moses; he had watched the demon of death bind his +cold shackles on Elisheba; and now he had, himself, passed through the +deep shadows of that ordeal. + +What a sad and vast experience for one short year! He had shared with +me the toils and dangers of the sea and land over many a weary mile. He +seemed to feel that the death of his two friends was a common loss to +us; and if there is any one thing which more than another knits the web +of sympathy about two alien hearts, it is the experience of a common +grief. + +Thus ended the career of my _kulu-kamba_ friend, the last of my +chimpanzee pets. In him were centred many cherished hopes, but they did +not perish with him, for I shall some day find another one of his kind +in whom I may realise all that I had hoped for in him; but I cannot +expect to find a specimen of superior qualities, for he was certainly +one of the jolliest and one of the wisest of his race. + +However fine and intelligent his successor may be, he can never +supplant either Moses or Aaron in my affections: for these two little +heroes shared with me so many of the sad vicissitudes of time and +fortune that I should be an ingrate to forget them or allow the deeds +of others to dim the glory of their memory. + +I have all of them preserved, and when I look at them the past comes +back to me, and I recall so vividly the scenes in which they played the +leading _roles_--it is like a panorama of their lives. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +OTHER CHIMPANZEES + + +Among the number of chimpanzees that I have seen are some whose actions +are worthy of record; but as many of them were the repetition of +similar acts of other specimens which are elsewhere described, we shall +omit them, and relate only such other acts as may tend to widen the +circle of our knowledge, and more fully illustrate the mental range of +this interesting tribe of apes. + +In passing through the country of the Esyira tribe, I came to a small +village where I halted for a rest. On entering the open space between +two rows of bamboo huts, I saw a group of native children at the +opposite end of the space, and among them a fine big chimpanzee, who +was sharing with them in their play. + +When they discovered the presence of a white man in the town, they left +their sport and came to inspect me. The ape also came, and he showed +as much interest in the matter as any one else did. I was seated in +a native chair in front of the king's hut, and the people, as usual, +stood around me at a respectful distance, looking on as if I had been +some wild beast captured in the jungle. The ape was aware that I was +not a familiar kind of thing, and he appeared in doubt as to how he +should act towards me. He sat down on the ground among the people, +and stared at me in surprise, from time to time glancing at those +around him as if to ascertain what they thought of me. As they became +satisfied with looking, they retired one by one from the scene, until +most of them had gone, but the ape remained. He changed his place a few +times, but only to get a better view. The people were amused at his +manner, but no one molested him. + +At length I spoke to him in his own language, using the sound which +they use for calling one another. He looked as if he knew what it +meant but made no reply. I repeated the sound, when he rose up and +stood on his feet as if he intended to come to me. Again I uttered +it, and he came a few feet closer, but shied to one side as if to +flank my position and get behind me. He stopped again to look, and I +repeated the word, in response to which he came up near my right side, +and began to examine my clothing. He plucked at my coat-sleeve a few +times, then at the leg of my trousers and at the top of my boot. He +was getting rather familiar for a stranger, but I felt myself to blame +for having given him the license to do so. For a while he continued +his investigations, then deliberately put his left hand on my right +shoulder, his right foot on my knee, and climbed into my lap. He now +began to examine my helmet, ears, nose, chin and mouth. He became a +little rough, and I tried to get him down out of my lap, but he was +not disposed to go. Finally, I told my boy, who acted as interpreter, +to tell the native lads to come and take him away. This amused them +very much, for they saw that I was bigger than the ape, and thought I +ought therefore to manage him myself. They complied, however, but his +apeship declined to go until one of the men of the town interfered and +compelled him to do so. + +As he got down from my lap, one of the boys bantered him to play. He +accepted the challenge, and ran after the lad until they reached the +end of the open space between the houses, when the boy fell upon the +ground and the ape fell on him. They rolled and wallowed on the ground +for a time, when the ape released himself and ran away to the other end +of the opening, the boy pursuing him. When they reached the end of the +street, they again fell upon each other and another scuffle ensued. It +was plain to be seen that the boy could run much faster than the ape, +but he did not try to elude him. + +The other children crowded around them or followed them, looking on, +laughing and shouting in the greatest glee. First one boy and then +another took his turn in the play, but the ape did not lose interest in +me. He stopped from time to time to take another survey, but did not +try again to get upon my lap. + +[Illustration: NATIVE VILLAGE AT MOILE--INTERIOR OF NYANZA] + +After a long time at this sport, the ape quit playing and sat down by +the wall of a house, with his back against it; the children tried in +vain to induce him to resume, but he firmly declined, and sat there +like a tired athlete, picking his teeth with a bamboo splinter, which +he had pulled off the side of the house. + +His conduct was so much like that of the children with whom he was +playing, that one could not have distinguished him from them except +by his physique. He enjoyed the game as much as they did, and showed +that he knew how to gain or use an advantage over his adversary. In a +scuffle he was stronger and more active than the boys, but in the race +they were the more fleet. He screamed and yelled with delight, and in +every way appeared to enter into the spirit of the fun. + +He was about five years old, and his history, as it was given to me, +was that he had been captured when quite young in the forest near that +place and ever since that time had lived in the village. He had been +the constant playmate of the children, ate with them, and slept in the +same houses with them. He was perfectly tame and harmless; he knew +every one in the village by name, and knew his own name. + +The king's son, to whom he belonged, assured me that the ape could +talk, and that he himself could understand what he said; but he +declined to gratify my request to hear it. However, he called the ape +by name, and told him to come to him, which he obeyed. He then gave +him a long-necked gourd, and told him to go to the spring and bring +some water. The animal hesitated, but on repeating the command two or +three times, he reluctantly obeyed. After a few minutes he returned +with the gourd about half filled with water. In carrying the vessel +he held it by the neck, but this deprived him of the use of one hand. +He waddled along on his feet, using the other hand, but now and then +would set the gourd on the ground, still holding to it, and using it +something after the manner of a short stick. On delivering the gourd +of water to his master, he gave evidence of knowing that he had done +a clever thing. I expressed a desire to see him fill the gourd at the +spring. The water was then emptied out, and the gourd again given to +him. On this occasion we followed him to the place where he got the +water. On arriving, he leaned over the spring and pressed the gourd +into the water, but the mouth of it was turned down so that the water +could not flow into it. As he lifted the gourd out, it turned to one +side and a small quantity flowed into it. He repeated the act a number +of times, and seemed to know how it ought to be done, although he was +very awkward in doing it. Whenever the water in the mouth of the gourd +would bubble, he would dip it back again and was evidently aware that +it was not filled. Finally, raising the vessel, he turned and offered +it to his master, who declined to relieve him of it. We turned to go +back into the town, and the ape followed us with the gourd, but all the +way along continued to mutter a sound of complaint. + +He next sent him into the edge of the forest to bring firewood. He was +only gone a few minutes when he returned with a small branch of dead +wood which he had picked up on the ground. He again sent him, together +with three or four children. When he returned on this occasion he had +three sticks in his hand. The man explained to me that, when the ape +went alone he would never bring but one twig at a time, and this was +sometimes not bigger than a lead-pencil; but if the children went with +him and brought wood, he would bring as much as he could grasp in one +hand. He also told me that the animal would sit down on the ground and +lay the sticks across one arm in the same manner as the children did, +but invariably dropped them when he would rise up. Then he would seize +what he could in one hand, and bring it along. He also said, that in +carrying a single stick the ape always used the hand in which he held +it; but if he had three or four pieces that he always curved his arm +inwards, holding the wood against his side, and hobbled along with his +feet and the other hand. + +The next thing with which he entertained me was sending the ape to call +some one in the village. He first sent him to bring a certain one of +the man's wives. She was several doors away from where we sat. The ape +went to one house, sat down at the door for a moment, looking inside, +and then moved slowly along to the next, which he entered. Within a +minute he appeared at the door holding the cloth that the woman wore +tied around her, and in this manner led her to his master. He next sent +him to bring a certain boy, which he did in a similar manner, except +that the boy had on no clothing of any kind, and the ape held him by +the leg. + +During all these feats the man talked to him, as far as I could tell, +in the native language only, though he declared to me that some of the +words that he had used were those of the ape's own speech. However, +he said that many words that the ape knew were of the native speech, +and that the ape had no such words in his language. One thing that +especially impressed me was a sound which I have elsewhere described +as meaning "good" or "satisfaction," which this man said was the word +which these apes use to mean "mother." My own servant had told me the +same thing before, but I am still of the opinion that they are mistaken +in the meaning of the sound, although it is almost exactly the same +as the word for mother in the native speech. The difference being in +the vowel element only, and it is possible, I grant, that the word may +have both meanings. A little later one of the women came to the door +of a house and said, in the native language, that something was ready +to eat, whereupon the children and the ape at once started. In the +meantime she set an earthen pot, containing boiled plantains, in front +of the house, from which all the children and the ape alike helped +themselves. In brief, the ape was a part of the family, and was so +regarded by all in the town. + +I do not know to what extent they may have played upon my credulity, +but, so far as I could discern, their statements concerning the animal +were verified. + +I proposed to buy the ape, but the price asked was nearly twice that +of a slave, and I could have bought any child in the town at a smaller +cost. I have never seen any other chimpanzee that I so much coveted. +When standing in an upright position, he was quite four feet in height, +strongly built, and well-proportioned. He was in a fine, healthy +condition, and in the very prime of his life. He was not handsome in +the face, but his coat of hair was of good colour and texture. He was +of the common variety, but a fine specimen. + +Mr. Otto Handmann, formerly the German consul at Gaboon, had a very +fair specimen of this same species of chimpanzee. He was a rough, burly +creature, but was well-disposed and had in his face a look of wisdom +that was almost comical. He had been for some months a captive in a +native town, during which time he had become quite tame and docile. By +nature he was not humorous, but appeared to acquire a sense of fun as +he grew older and became more familiar with the manners of men. + +On my return from the interior, I was invited by the consul to take +breakfast with himself and a few friends; but owing to a prior +engagement I was not able to be present. It was proposed by some one of +the guests present that my vacant seat at the table should be filled by +the chimpanzee. He was brought into the room and permitted to occupy +the seat. He behaved himself with becoming gravity, and was not abashed +in the presence of so many guests. He was served with such things as +were best suited to his liking, and his demeanour was such as to amuse +all present. On proposing a toast, all the guests beat with their +hands upon the table, and in this the chimpanzee joined with apparent +pleasure. After a few rounds of this kind, one of the guests, occupying +the seat next to him, failed to respond with the usual beating; the +chimpanzee observed the fact, turned upon the guest, and began to +claw, scream, and pound him on the back and arm until the gentleman +proceeded to beat, whereupon the ape resumed his place and joined in +the applause. On this occasion he acquitted himself with credit, but an +hour later he had fallen into disgrace by drinking beer until he was +actually drunk, when he awkwardly climbed off the chair, crawled under +the table, and went to sleep. + +One of the clerks in the employ of the consul also had a fair specimen +of this same species. It was a female, perhaps two years younger than +the one just described, but equally addicted to the habit of drinking +beer. It is the custom among people on the coast to offer to a guest +something to drink, and on these occasions this young lady ape always +expected to partake with others. If she was overlooked in pouring out +beer for others, she always set up a complaint until she got her glass. +If it was not given to her, she would go from one to another, holding +out her hand and begging for a drink. If she failed to secure it, she +would watch her opportunity, and while the guest was not looking, +would stealthily reach up, take his glass off the table, drink the +contents, and return the glass to its place. She would do this with +each one in turn, until she had taken the last glass; but if a glass +was given to her at the same time that the others were served, she was +content with it and made no attempt to steal that of another. + +In this act she evinced a skill and caution worthy of a confirmed +thief; she would secrete herself under the table or behind a chair, +and watch her chance. She made no attempt to steal the glass while it +was being watched, but the instant she discovered that she was not +observed, or thought she was not, the theft was committed. + +Her master frequently gave her a glass and bottle of beer to help +herself. She could pour the beer out with dexterity. She often spilt a +portion of it, and sometimes filled the glass too full, but always set +the bottle right end up, lifted the glass with both hands, drained it, +and refilled it as long as there was any in the bottle. She could also +drink from the bottle, and would resort to this if no glass was given +her. She knew an empty bottle from one that contained beer. + +This ape was very much attached to her master, would follow him, and +cry after him like a child. She was affectionate to him, but had been +so much annoyed by strangers that her temper was spoiled and she was +irritable. + +I may remark here, that I have known at least five or six chimpanzees +that were fond of beer, and would drink it until they were drunk +whenever they could get it. I have never seen one, that I am aware of, +that would drink spirits. + +Arriving on the south side of Lake Izanga, I found a young chimpanzee +at the house of a white trader. It was tied to a post in the yard, +where it was annoyed by the natives who came to the place to trade. On +approaching it for the first time, I spoke to it in its own language, +using the word for food. It recognised the sound at once and responded +to it. As I came nearer, it advanced as far towards me as the string +with which it was tied would allow. Standing erect and holding out its +hands, it repeated the sound two or three times. I gave it some dried +fish which it ate with relish, and we at once became friends. Its +master permitted me to release it on the condition that I should not +allow it to escape. I did so, and took the little captive in my arms. +It put its arms around my neck as if I had been the only friend it had +on earth. It clung to me, and would not consent for me to leave it. I +could but pity the poor, neglected creature. There it was, tied in the +hot sun, hungry, lonely, and exposed to the tortures of every heartless +native that chose to tease it. When it was not in my arms, it followed +me around and would not leave me for a moment. Its master cared but +little for it, and left it to the charge of his boy, who, like all +other natives, had no thought or concern for the comfort of any +creature but himself. I tried to purchase it, but the price was too +much, and after two days our friendship was broken for ever. But I was +glad to learn, soon after this, that another trader secretly released +it, and let it escape into the forest. The man who did this told me +himself that he did it as an act of mercy. I often recall this little +prisoner to mind, and always feel a sense of gladness at knowing that +he was set at liberty by a humane friend. Whatever may have been his +fate in the forest, it could have been no worse than to be confined, +starved, and tormented as he was, while in captivity. + +Another small specimen, which I saw at Gaboon, was not of much value +except from one fact, and that was, it was broken out with an eruptive +disease prevalent among the natives. It is called crawcraw or kra-kra. +It is said to originate from the water, either by external or internal +use of it. This animal was infected in the same way and on the same +parts of the body as men are affected by the same disease, and is +another instance of their being subject to the same maladies as +those of man. The specimen itself also exemplified the difference in +intellect among these animals, for this one had in its face the look +of mental weakness, and every act confirmed the fact. It was silent, +inactive and obtuse. + +During my residence in the cage I did not see so many chimpanzees as +I saw of gorillas, but from those I did see it was an easy matter to +determine that they were much less shy and timid than the gorilla. + +On one occasion I heard one in the bush not far away from the cage. I +called him with the usual sound and he answered, but did not come to +the cage. It is probable that he could see it, and was afraid of it. +I tried to induce Moses to call him, and he did once utter the sound, +but he appeared to regret having made the attempt. I called again and +he answered, and from the manner in which Moses behaved it was evident +that he understood it. He would not attempt the call again, but clung +to my neck with his face buried under my chin. It was probably jealousy +that caused him to refuse, because he did not want the other to share +my attentions. I gave the food sound, but I could not induce the +visitor to come nearer. I failed to get a view of him so as to tell how +large he was, but from his voice he must have been about grown. Whether +he was quite alone or not I was not able to tell, but only the one +voice could be heard. + +Another time, while sitting quite alone, a young chimpanzee, perhaps +five or six years old, appeared at the edge of a small opening of the +bush. He plucked a bud or leaf from a small plant. He raised it to his +nose and smelt it. He picked three or four buds of different kinds, one +or two of which he put in his mouth. He turned aside the dead leaves +that were lying on the ground as if he expected to find something +under them. I spoke to him, using the call sound; he instantly turned +his eyes towards me, but made no reply. I uttered the food sound and +he replied, but stood where he was. He betrayed no sign of fear, and +little of surprise. He surveyed the cage and myself, and I repeated +the sound two or three times. He refused to approach any nearer. He +turned his head from side to side for a moment as if in doubt which way +to go; then turned aside and disappeared in the bush. He did not run or +start away as if in great fear, but by the sound of the shaking bushes +it could be told that he increased his speed after he once disappeared +from view. + +One day I had been for a stroll with Moses and the boy. As we returned +to the cage we saw a chimpanzee about half-grown; he was crossing the +rugged little path about thirty yards away from us. He paused for a +moment to look at us, and we stopped. I tried to induce Moses to call +out to him, but he declined to do so. As the stranger turned aside +I called to him myself, but he neither stopped nor answered. This +one appeared to be quite brown, but the boy assured me his hair was +jet black, but his skin being light gave him this colour. To satisfy +myself, I had Moses placed in the same place and position, and looking +at him from the same distance I was convinced that the boy was right. + +One morning, as I started with Moses for a walk, I had only gone some +forty yards away from the cage when he made a sound of warning. I +instantly looked up, when I saw a large chimpanzee standing in the bush +not more than twenty yards away. I paused to look at him. He stood for +a moment, looking straight at us. I spoke to him, but he made no reply; +he moved off almost parallel to the little path which we were in, and +I returned towards the cage. He did not come any nearer to us, but kept +his course almost parallel with ours. He turned his head from time +to time to look, but gave no sign of attack. I called to him several +times, but he made no answer. When I reached a place in front of the +cage I called again, and after the lapse of a few seconds he stopped. +By this time he was concealed from view. He only halted for a moment, +changed his course and resumed his journey. This was the largest one I +saw in the forest. + +At another time, while sitting in the cage, I heard the sound of +something making its way through the bush not more than twenty yards +away; presently it passed in view. As it crossed the path near by, I +called three or four times, but it neither stopped nor answered. As +well as I could tell, it appeared to be a female and quite grown. + +I may take occasion to remark that while the chimpanzee is mostly +found in large family groups, as I have reason to believe from native +accounts of them, and from what has been told me by white men, I have +never been able to see a family of them together, but each of these +that I have mentioned, so far as I could tell, was quite alone. Whether +the others were scattered through the forest in like manner, hunting +for food, and all came together after this or not, I can only say that +every chimpanzee that I saw was alone at the time. + +Another thing worthy of mention is the fact that both these apes live +in the same forest, and twice on the same day I have seen both kinds. +This is contrary to the common idea that they do not inhabit the same +jungle. It appears that where there is a great number of the one there +are but few of the other. The natives say that in combat between the +chimpanzee and gorilla, the former is always victor, on which account +the latter is afraid of him. I believe this to be true, because the +chimpanzee, although not so strong, is more active and more intelligent +than the gorilla. + +The chimpanzee will not approach or attack man if he can avoid it, +but he does not shrink from him as the gorilla does. One instance +that will illustrate this phase of his character I shall relate. On +one occasion recently, while I was on the coast, a native boy started +across a small plain near the trading station. Along with him was a +dog that belonged to the white trader at the place. The dog was in +advance of the boy, and as the latter emerged from a small clump of +the bush he heard the dog bark in a playful manner, and discovered him +not more than thirty yards away, prancing, jumping, and barking in a +jolly way with a chimpanzee which appeared to be five or six years old. +The ape was standing in the path along which the boy was proceeding. +He was slapping at the dog with his hands, and did not seem to relish +the sport, yet he was not resenting it in anger. The dog thought the +ape was playing with him, and he was taking the whole thing in fun. +The boy looked at them for a few moments and retreated. As soon as he +disappeared the dog desisted and followed him to the house. The boy +was afraid of the ape, and made no attempt to capture him. The latter +was taken by surprise by the dog and boy, and thus had no time to +escape. He did not strike to harm the dog, but only to ward him off. +The dog made no attempt to bite him, but when he would jump up against +him he would knock the ape out of balance, and this annoyed him. He +didn't seem to understand just what the dog meant. + +I shall not describe those so well known in captivity, only to mention +some of them. The largest specimen of the chimpanzee that I have ever +seen was Chico, who belonged to Mr. James A. Bailey, of New York. He +was as large perhaps as these apes ever become, although he was less +than ten years old when he died. + +Perhaps the most valuable specimen for scientific use that has ever +been in captivity is Johanna, who belongs to the same gentleman. The +history that is given of her, however, is hardly to be taken in full +faith. Her age cannot be determined with certainty, but it is said that +she is about thirteen years old. I have reason to doubt that, although +I cannot positively deny it. Whatever may be her exact age, it is +certain that she has now reached a complete adult state. She has grown +to be quite as large as Chico was at the time of his death. She is not +of amiable temper, but is much less vicious than he was. She has some +of the marks of a kulu kamba. + +In order to justify my doubts upon the subject of her age, I may state +that Chico was only ten years of age when he died, but had reached the +adult period; and as males do not reach that state sooner than the +females of any genus of the primates, it is not probable that he was +mature at ten, while she was not so until twelve. In the next place, +her captors claim to have seen her within a few hours after her birth, +and that they watched her and her mother from time to time until she +was one year old, when they killed the mother and captured the babe. +The claim is absurd. These apes are nomadic in habit, and are rarely +ever seen in the same place. They claim that she was born on January +19, but from what I know of these apes that is not their season of +bearing, and I doubt if any of them were ever born during that month. +Again, it is claimed that she was captured by Portuguese explorers in +the Congo, but the Portuguese do not possess any territory along that +river in which these apes are ever found. They claim the territory +around Kabenda, which would indicate that she came from the Loango +Valley instead of the Congo, but the cupidity of the average Portuguese +would never allow anything to go at liberty for a year if it could be +sold before that time. + +Johanna is accredited with a great deal of intelligence; but I do not +regard her as being above the average of her race. Since the death +of her companion, Chico, she has received the sole attention of her +keeper, and since that time has been taught a few things which are +neither marvellous nor difficult. In point of intellect she cannot be +regarded as an extraordinary specimen of her tribe. I do not mean to +detract from her reputation, but I have failed to discover in her any +high order of mental qualities. + +The reason why Johanna may be regarded as the most valuable specimen +for study is the fact that she is the only female of her race that +has ever reached the state of puberty. She has done so, and this fact +enables us to determine certain things which have never heretofore been +known. This affords the Zoologists an opportunity for the study of her +sexual development which may not again present itself in many years to +come. From this important point of view she presents the student with +many new problems in that branch of science. + +I have elsewhere stated as my opinion that the female chimpanzee +reaches the age of puberty at seven to nine years, and I have many +reasons which I will not here recount, that cause me to adhere to that +belief. But the uncertainty of the age of this ape does not destroy her +value as a subject of scientific study. + +The most sagacious specimen of the race that I have been brought in +contact with is Consul II., who is now an inmate of the Bellvue Garden +of Manchester, England. He has not been educated to perform mere tricks +to gratify the visitor in the way that animals are usually trained, but +most of the feats that he performs are prompted by his own desire and +for his own pleasure. + +[Illustration: CONSUL II. RIDING A TRICYCLE] + +There is a vast difference in the motives that prompt animals in the +execution of these feats. I have elsewhere mentioned the fact that +animals that are caused to act from fear do so mechanically, and it is +not a true index to their intellect. While Consul and a few other apes +that I have seen do many things by imitation they do not do so from +coercion. They seem to understand the purpose and foresee the results, +and these impel them to act. + +Some of the feats performed by this ape I have never seen attempted +by any other. One accomplishment is riding a tricycle. He knows the +machine by the name of "bike," although it is not really a bicycle. He +can adjust it and mount it with the skill of an acrobat. The ease and +grace with which he rides are sufficient to provoke the envy of any +boy in England. He propels it with great skill and steers it with the +accuracy of an expert. He guides it around angles and obstacles in the +way with absolute precision. + +Consul is allowed to go at liberty a great deal of his time, which is +the proper way to treat these apes in captivity. He rides the wheel for +his own diversion. He does not do it to gratify strangers or to "show +off." + +Another accomplishment which he has, is that of smoking a pipe, cigar, +or cigarette. It may not be commended from a moral standpoint, but the +act appears to afford him quite as much pleasure as it does the average +boy when he first acquires it, and he has also formed the habit of +spitting as he smokes, but he has the good manners not to spit on the +floor. When Consul has his pipe lighted he usually sits on the floor +to enjoy it, and he spreads a sheet of paper down before him to spit +on. When he has finished smoking he rolls up the paper and throws it +into some corner out of the way. When playing about the grounds he +often finds a cigar stub. He knows what it is, picks it up, puts it +into his mouth and at once goes to his keeper for a light. He will not +attempt to light his pipe or cigar, because he is afraid of burning his +fingers; but he will light a match and hand it to his keeper to hold +while lighting the pipe. He sometimes takes a piece of paper, lights it +in the fire and hands it to some one else to light his pipe for him. He +is afraid of the fire, and will not hold the paper while it is burning. +If any one hesitates to take it from him, he throws it at them and gets +out of the way. He is not so fond of cigarettes, because he gets the +tobacco in his mouth, and he does not like the taste of it. + +When Consul is furnished with a piece of chalk, he begins to draw some +huge figure on the wall or floor. He never attempts to make a small +design with chalk, but if given a pencil and paper he executes some +peculiar figure of smaller design. Those made with the chalk or pencil +are usually round or oval in shape, but if given a pen and ink he at +once begins to make a series of small figures containing many acute +angles. Whether these results are from design or accident I cannot +say, but he appears to have a well-defined idea as to the use of the +instrument, but whether he can distinguish between writing and drawing +I am unable to say. + +The only abstract thing that his keeper has tried to teach him is to +select the letters of the alphabet. He has learned to distinguish the +first three. These are made upon the faces of cubical blocks of wood: +each block contains one letter on each of its faces. He selects the +letter asked for with very few mistakes, and this appears to be from +indifference more than from ignorance. + +Consul is very fond of play, and makes friends with some strangers on +sight, but to others he takes an aversion without any apparent cause, +and while he is not disposed to be vicious when not annoyed, he resents +with anger the approaches of certain persons. He is the only one I have +seen that can use a knife and fork with very much skill, but he cuts up +his food with almost as much ease as a boy of the same age would do, +and uses his fork in eating. He has been taught to do this until he +rarely uses his fingers in the act. He is fond of coffee and beer, but +does not care for spirits. + +There is nothing that so much delights Consul as to get into the large +cage of monkeys and baboons kept in the garden. Most of them are afraid +of him. But one large Guinea baboon is not, and on every occasion he +shows his dislike for the ape. The latter, however, takes many chances +in teasing him, but always manages to evade his attack. He displays +much skill and a great degree of caution in playing these pranks upon +the baboon when at close range. Upon the approach of the ape the other +animals in the cage all seek some refuge, and he finds great diversion +in stealing up to their place of concealment to frighten them. Consul +is very strong, and can lift objects of surprising weight. It is +awkward for him to stand in an upright position, but he does so with +more ease than any other chimpanzee that I have ever seen. If any one +will take hold of his hand he will stroll with him for a long time +without apparent fatigue. + +Owing to the sudden changes of temperature in that part of England, he +is provided with a coat, which he is often required to wear when going +out of doors. He does not like to be hampered with such garments, and +if for a moment he is not watched, he removes it, and sometimes hides +it to keep from wearing it. He is also provided with trousers, which he +dislikes more if possible than his coat; but above all other articles +of wearing apparel he dislikes shoes. His keeper often puts them on +him, but whenever he gets out of sight he unties and removes them. He +cannot tie the laces, but can untie them in an instant. + +[Illustration: CONSUL II. IN FULL DRESS] + +He does not evince so much aversion to a hat or cap, and will sometimes +put one on without being told; but he has a perfect mania for a silk +hat, and if allowed to do so he would demolish that of every stranger +who comes to the garden. He has a decided vein of humour and a love +of approbation. When he does anything that is funny or clever, he is +perfectly aware of the fact; and when by any act he evokes a laugh +from any one he is happy, and recognises the approval by a broad +chimpanzee grin. + +In the corner of the monkey-house is a room set apart for the keeper, +and in this room supplies of food for the inmates are kept. In a small +cupboard in one corner is kept a supply of bananas and other fruits. +Consul knows this and has tried many times to burglarise it. On one +occasion he secured a large screw-driver and attempted to prise open +the door. He found the resistance to be greatest at the place where +the door locked, and at this point he forced the instrument in the +crevice and broke off a piece of the wood about an inch wide from the +edge of the door. At this juncture he was discovered and reproved for +his conduct, but he never fails to stick his fingers in this crack and +try to open the door. He has not been able to unlock it when the key +is given him, although he knows the use of it, and has often tried, +but his keeper has never imparted the secret to him, and his method of +using the key has been to prise with it, or pull it instead of turning +it after putting it in the keyhole. + +The young keeper, Mr. Webb, deserves great credit for his untiring +attention to this valuable young ape, and the results of his zeal are +worthy of the recognition of every man who is interested in the study +of animals. + +Another specimen that may be regarded as an intermediate type was +recently kept in Belle Vue Gardens at Manchester. He was playful and +full of mischief. He had been taught to use a stick or broom to +fight with, and with such a weapon in his hand would run all over the +building, hunting some one to fight. He did not appear to be serious in +his assault, but treated it as fun. It was a bad thing to teach an ape, +because they grow pugnacious as they grow older, and all animals kept +closely confined acquire a bad temper. + +In an adjoining cage was kept a young orang, and the two ate at the +same table. The chimpanzee appeared to entertain a species of contempt +for the orang. The keeper had taught him to pass the bread to his +neighbour, and he obeyed this with such reluctance that his manner +betrayed more disgust than kindness. A few small pieces of bread were +placed on a tin plate, and the kulu was required to lift the plate in +his hand, and offer it to the orang before he himself was allowed to +eat. He would lift the plate a few inches above the table, and hold +it before the orang's face; when the latter had taken a piece of the +bread, the chimpanzee withdrew the plate, held it for a moment, and +dropped it. Meanwhile he kept his eyes fixed on the orang. The manner +in which he dropped the plate looked as if he did so in contempt. When +the meal was finished, the kulu would drink his milk from a cup, wipe +his mouth with the serviette, and then get down from the table. The +orang would slowly climb down, and go back to his cage. We shall not +describe the details of their home-life, but they were two jolly young +bachelors, one of which was as stupid as the other was bright. + +The specimens that were kept in the Gardens in New York were very +fine. One of them was mentally equal to any other specimen hitherto in +captivity. There were two kept in the Cincinnati Gardens which were +also very fine. There have never been but nine of these apes brought to +America so far as I am aware, but six of these lived longer and four of +them grew to be larger than any other specimens of this race have ever +done in captivity. For some reason they never survive long in England, +or other parts of Europe. This is probably due to some condition of the +atmosphere. It cannot be from a difference of treatment. + +I have seen a large number of chimpanzees, but most of them were in +captivity, yet I have seen enough of them in a wild state to gain some +idea of their habits and manner, but those described will be sufficient +to show the mental character of the genus. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +OTHER KULU-KAMBAS + + +Whether the kulu-kamba is a distinct species of ape, or only a +well-marked variety of the chimpanzee, he is by far the finest +representative of his genus. Among those that I have seen are some very +good specimens, and the clever things that I have witnessed them do are +sufficient to stamp them as the highest type of all apes. + +On board a small river steamer that plies the Ogowe, was a young female +kulu that belonged to the captain. Her face was not by any means +handsome, and her complexion was the darkest of any kulu I have ever +seen. It was almost a coffee-colour. There were two or three spots much +darker in shade, but not well defined in outline. The dark spots looked +as if they had been artificially put on the face. The colour was not +solid, but looked as if dry burnt umber had been rubbed or sprinkled +over a surface of lighter brown. Although she was young (perhaps not +more than two years old), her face looked almost like that of a woman +of forty. Her short, flat nose, big, flexible lips, protruding jaws +and prominent arches over the eyes, with a low receding forehead, +conspired to make her look like a certain type of human being one +frequently sees. This gave her what is known as a dish-face, or a +concave profile. She had a habit of compressing her nose by contracting +the muscles of the face; curling her lips as if in scorn, and at the +same time glancing at those around her as if to express the most +profound contempt. + +Whatever may have been the sentiment in her mind, her face was a +picture of disdain, and the circumstances under which she made use of +these grimaces, certainly pointed to the fact that she felt just like +she looked. At other times her visage would be covered with a perfect +smile. It was something more than a grin, and the fact that it was +used only at a time when she was pleased or diverted, showed that the +emotion which gave rise to it was perfectly in keeping with the face +itself. In repose her face was neither pretty nor ugly. It did not +strongly depict a high mental status, nor yet portray the instincts of +a brute; but her countenance was as safe an index to the mind as that +of the human being. This is true of the chimpanzee more perhaps than of +any other ape. The gorilla doubtless feels the sense of pleasure, but +his face does not yield to the emotion, while the opposite passions are +expressed with great intensity, and with the common chimpanzee it is +the same way, but not to the same extent. + +The kulu in question was more of a coquette than she was of a shrew. +She plainly showed that she was fond of flattery. Not perhaps in the +same sense that a human being is, but she was certainly conscious +of approbation and fond of applause. When she accomplished anything +difficult, she seemed aware of it; and when she succeeded in doing a +thing which she was not allowed to do, she never failed to express +herself in the manner described above. She always appeared to be +perfectly conscious of being observed by others, but she was defiant +and composed. There was nothing known in the catalogue of mischief that +she was not ready to tackle at any moment and take her chances on the +result. From the stoke-hole to the funnel, from the jack-staff to the +rudder, she explored that boat. + +To keep her out of mischief, she was tied on the saloon deck with a +long line, but no one aboard the vessel was able to tie a knot in the +line which she could not untie with dexterity and ease. Her master, who +was a sailor and an expert in the art of tying knots, exhausted his +efforts in trying to make one that would defy her skill. + +On one occasion I was aboard the little steamer when the culprit was +brought up from the main deck where she had been in some mischief, +and tied to one of the rails along the side of the boat. The question +of tying her was discussed, and at length a new plan was devised. In +the act of untying a knot she always began with the part of the knot +that was nearest to her. It was now agreed to tie the line around one +of the rails on the side of the deck, about half-way between the two +stanchions that supported it, then to carry the loose ends of the line +to the stanchion and make it fast in the angle of it and the rail. This +was done. As soon as she was left alone she began to examine the knots; +but she made no attempt at first to untie them except to feel them as +if to see how firmly they were made. She then climbed up on the iron +rail around which the middle of the line was tied, and slackened the +knot. She pulled first at one strand and then at the other, but one +end was tied to the stanchion and the other to her neck, and she could +find no loose end to draw through. First one way and then the other +she drew this noose. She saw that in some way it was connected with +the stanchion. She drew the noose along the rail until it was near the +post; she climbed down upon the deck, then around the post and back +again; she climbed up over the rails and down on the outside, and again +carefully examined the knot; she climbed back, then through between the +rails and back, then under the rails and back, but she could find no +way to get this first knot out of the line. For a moment she sat down +on the deck, and viewed the situation with evident concern. She slowly +rose to her feet and again examined it; she moved the noose back to its +place in the middle of the rail, climbed up by it, and again drew it +out as far as the strands would allow. Again she closed it; she took +one strand in her hand and traced it from the loop to the stanchion, +then she took the other end in the same manner and traced it from the +loop to her neck. She looked at the loop and then slowly drew it out +as far as it would come. She sat for a while holding it in one hand, +and with the other moved each strand of the knot. She was in a deep +study, and did not even deign a glance at those who were watching her. +At length she took the loop in both hands, deliberately put it over +her head and crawled through it. The line thus released dropped to the +deck; she quickly descended, took hold of it near her neck, and found +that it was untied; she gathered it up as she advanced towards the +other end that was tied to the post, and at once began to loosen the +knots about it. In a minute more the last knot was released, when she +gathered the whole line into a bundle, looked at those around her with +that look of contempt which we have described, and departed at once in +search of other mischief. The air of triumph and contempt was enough to +convince any one of her opinion of what she had done. + +If this feat was the result of instinct, the lexicons must find another +definition for that word. There were six white men who witnessed the +act, and the verdict of all was that she had solved a problem which few +children of her own age could have done. Every movement was controlled +by reason. The tracing out of cause and effect was too evident for any +one to doubt. + +[Illustration: NATIVE VILLAGE AT GLASS GABOON] + +Almost any animal can be taught to perform certain feats, but that does +not show the innate capacity. The only true measure of the faculty of +reason is to reduce the actor to his own resources, and see how he will +render himself under some new condition, otherwise the act will be, +at least in part, mechanical or imitative. In all my efforts to study +the mental calibre of animals I have confined them strictly to their +own judgment, and left them to work out the problem alone. By this +means only can we estimate to what extent they apply the faculty of +reason. No one doubts that all animals have minds, which are receptive +in some degree. But it has often been said that they are devoid of +reason, and controlled alone by some vague attribute called instinct. +Such is not the case. It is the same faculty of the mind that men +employ to solve the problems that arise in every sphere of life. It +is the one which sages and philosophers have used in every phase of +science. It differs in degree, but not in kind. + +This kulu-kamba knew the use of a corkscrew. This she had acquired +from seeing it applied by men. While she could not use it herself with +success, she often tried and never applied it to the wrong purpose. + +She would take the deck broom and scrub the deck, unless there was +water on it, in which event she always left the job. She did not seem +to know the purpose of sweeping the deck, and never swept the dirt +before the broom. This was doubtless imitative. She only grasped the +idea that a broom was used to scrub the deck, but she failed to observe +the effect produced. However, it cannot be said with certainty to what +extent she was aware of the effect, but it is inferred from the fact +that she did not try to remove the dirt. + +She knew what coal was intended for, and often climbed into the bunker +and threw it down by the furnace door. The furnace door and steam gauge +were two things that escaped her busy fingers. I do not know how she +learned the danger of them, but she never touched them. She had to be +watched to keep her from seizing the machinery. For this she seemed to +have a strong desire, but did not know the danger she incurred. + +I was aboard a ship when a trader brought off from the beach a young +kulu to be sent to England. The little captive sat upright on the deck +and seemed aware that he was being sent away. At any rate his face +wore a look of deep concern as if he had no friend to whom he could +appeal. On approaching him I spoke to him, using his own word for food. +He looked up and promptly answered it. He looked as if in doubt as to +whether I was a big ape or something else. I repeated the sound, and he +repeated the answer and came towards me. As he approached me I again +gave the sound. He came up and sat by my feet for a moment, looking +into my face. I uttered the sound again, when he took hold of my leg +and began to climb up as if it had been a tree. He climbed up to my +neck and began to play with my lips, nose and ears. We at once became +friends, and I tried to buy him, but the price asked was more than I +desired to pay. I regretted to part with him, but he was taken back to +the beach, and I never saw him again. + +On another occasion one was brought aboard, and after speaking to him +I gave him an orange; he began to eat it and at the same time caught +hold of the leg of my trousers as if he did not wish me to leave him. I +petted and caressed him for a moment and turned away, but he held on to +me. He waddled about over the deck, holding on to my clothes, and would +not release me. He was afraid of his master and the native boy who had +him in charge. He was a timid creature, but was quite intelligent, and +I felt sorry for him because he seemed to realise his situation. + +On the same voyage I saw one in the hands of a German trader. It was a +young male, about one year old. He promptly answered the food sound, +and I called him to come to me; but this he neither answered nor +complied with. He looked at me as if to ask where I had learned his +language. I repeated the sound several times, but elicited no answer. +I have elsewhere called attention to the fact that these apes do not +answer the call when they can see the one who makes it, and they do not +always comply with it. In this respect they behave very much the same +as young children, and it may be remarked that one difficulty in all +apes is to secure fixed attention. This is exactly the same with young +children. Even when they clearly understand, sometimes they betray no +sign of having heard it. At other times they show that they both hear +and understand, but do not comply. + +Another specimen that was brought aboard a ship when I was present +was a young male, something less than two years old. He was sullen +and morose. He did not resent my approaches, but he did not encourage +them. I first spoke to him with the food sound, but he gave no heed. +I retired a little distance from him and called him, but he paid no +attention. I then used the sound of warning; he raised his head, and +looked in the direction from which the sound came. I repeated it, and +he looked at me for a moment and turned his head away. I repeated it +again. He looked at me, then looked around as if to see what it meant, +and again resumed his attitude of repose. + +On my last voyage to the coast I saw a very good specimen in the Congo. +It was a female, a little more than two years old. She was also of a +dark complexion, but quite intelligent. She had been captured north of +there, and within the limits elsewhere described. At the time I saw her +she was ill and under treatment, but her master, the British consul, +told me that when she was well she was bright and sociable. I made no +attempt to talk with her, except some time after, having left her, I +gave the call sound, which she answered by looking around the corner of +the house. I do not know whether she would have come or not, as she was +tied and could not have done so had she desired to. + +I have seen a few other specimens of this ape, and most of them appear +to be of a somewhat higher order than the ordinary chimpanzee, but +there is among them a wide range of intelligence. It would be a risk to +say whether the lowest specimen of kulu is higher or lower than the +highest specimen of the common chimpanzee or not, but taken as a whole +they are much superior. I shall not describe at length the specimens +which have been known in captivity, since most of them have been amply +described by others; but it is not out of place to mention some of them. + +If proper conditions were afforded to keep a pair of kulus in training +for some years, it is difficult to say what they might not be taught. +They are not only apt in learning what they are taught, but they are +well-disposed, and can apply their accomplishment to some useful end. +We cannot say to what extent they may be able to apply what they learn +from man, because the necessity of doing so is removed by the attention +given them. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +GORILLAS + + +In the order of nature the gorilla occupies the second place below man. +His habitat is in the lowlands of West Tropical Africa, and is confined +to very narrow limits. The vague line which bounds his realm cannot be +defined with absolute precision, but those generally given in books +that treat of him are not correct. If he ever occupied any part of the +coast north of the equator, he has long since become extinct in that +part, but there is nothing to show that he ever did exist there. So +far as I have been able to trace the lines that prescribe his native +haunts, he appears to be confined to the low, delta country, lying +between the Equator and Loango along the coast, and reaching eastward +to the interior, an average distance of about one hundred miles. The +eastern boundary is very irregular. To be more exact, the extreme limit +on the north side would be the Gaboon River to its head-waters, thence +southward to the Ogowe River to the mouth of the Nguni River; up that +river twenty or thirty miles, thence a zigzag line along the western +base of the dividing lands between the Congo basin and the Atlantic +watershed, to the head-waters of the Chi Loango River, and with that +to the coast. Beyond these lines I have never been able to find any +trace of him, and along this boundary only now and then are they found. +I have seen two adult and two infant skulls of the gorilla that were +brought by Mr. Wm. S. Cherry, from the Kisango Valley, which lies north +of the middle Congo in the interior. The skulls are the only evidence +I have ever found of this ape existing so far eastward, but they were +said to have come from that part of the valley lying directly under the +equator. Mr. Cherry did not collect them himself, but secured them from +natives, and does not claim to have seen any of these apes alive. + +There appear to be three centres of population: the first is in the +basin of Izanga Lake; the second in the basin of Lake Fernan Vaz; and +the third in the basin of the lake behind Sette Kama. They are rarely +ever found in high or hilly districts, but appear to inhabit the +hummock lands, which are only elevated a few feet above tide-level. +This is singular, from the fact that the ape has a morbid dislike for +deep water, and I think it doubtful if he can swim, although he has one +peculiar character that belongs to aquatic animals, which is a kind of +web between the digits, but its purpose cannot be to aid in swimming. +I have been told that the gorilla can swim, and it may be true; but I +have never observed anything in his habits to confirm this, while I +have noted many facts that controvert it. + +I know of no valid reason why he should be confined so strictly +within the limits mentioned, unless it be from a condition of climate +which seems peculiar to this district. South of it the climate along +the coast is much cooler, and the country back of it is hilly and +barren; north of the Equator is a land of perpetual rain, while to the +eastward, it is mountainous. Within this district the rainy and dry +seasons are more fixed and uniform. + +The gorilla appears to be an indigenous product which does not bear +transplanting; he thrives only in a low, hot and humid region, infested +by malaria, miasma and fevers. It is doubtful if he can long survive in +a pure atmosphere. + +The only single specimen that I have ever heard of north of the +equator, was one on the south side of the Komo River, which is the +north branch of the Gaboon. The point at which I heard of him was +within a few miles of the equator. I also heard of five having been +seen a few miles south-west from Njole, which is located on the Equator +on the south side of the Ogowe, a little way east of the Nguni, and +they were said to be the first ever seen in that part within the memory +of man. + +[Illustration: NATIVES SKINNING A GORILLA] + +As to their being found between Gaboon and Cameroon, I can find no +trace along the coast of one ever having been seen in that part. +Certain writers have mentioned the fact that in 1851 and 1852 they came +in great numbers from the interior to the coast. From such a statement +it might be inferred that they were seen in herds or armies together, +while the truth was that in those years a few more gorillas appeared +to be in the jungle than was usual, but they were not north of the +Gaboon River. They were in the Ogowe delta about 1 deg. south latitude; +but no one ever supposed that they came from the Crystal Mountains or +any other mountains. At that time neither traders nor missionaries +had ascended the Gaboon River above Parrot Island (which is less than +twenty miles from the mouth), except to make a flying trip by canoe, +and nothing was known of that part except what was learned from the +natives, and that was very little. During my first voyage I went +up that river as far as Nenge Nenge, about seventy-five miles from +the coast. I spent two days there with a white trader who had been +stationed there for a year, and I was assured by him that there were +no gorillas known in that part. The natives report that they have been +found in the lowlands south of there in the direction of the Ogowe +basin; but their reports are conflicting, and none of them, so far +as I could learn, claim that he is found north of there, nor in the +mountains eastward. I admit the possibility that he has been found and +may yet inhabit the strip of land between this river and the Ogowe, but +I repeat that there is no proof that he was ever found north of the +Gaboon. With due respect to Sir Richard Owen and others who have never +been in that country, I insist that they are mistaken. + +It is true that one of the tribes living north of the Gaboon has a name +for this animal, but it does not follow that he lives in that country. +The Orunga tribe have a name for lion, but there is not such a beast +within 400 miles of their country, and not one of that tribe ever saw +one. + +A vast number of specimens have been secured at Gaboon, but they have +been brought there from far away, because it is the chief town of the +colony, and there are more white men there to buy them than elsewhere. +It is quite impossible for a stranger to ascertain what part a specimen +is brought from. The native hunter will not tell the truth lest some +one else should find the game and thus deprive him of its capture and +sale. + +I once saw a specimen at Cameroon, and was told that it had been +captured in that valley fifty miles from the coast; but I hunted up +its history and found with absolute certainty that it was captured +near Mayumba, 200 miles south of Gaboon. Even with the greatest care +in hunting up the history of specimens one may fail, and often does +in tracing it to its true source, but every one so far, that I have +followed up, has been brought somewhere within the limits I have laid +down. Contrary to the statement of some authorities that these apes +"have never been seen on the coast" since 1852, the greatest number of +them are found near the coast. I do not mean to say that they sit on +the sand along the beach, or bathe in the surf, but they live in the +jungle of that part. + +Along the Lower Congo the gorilla is known only in name, and scores of +the natives do not know even that. The nearest point to that river +that I have been able to locate the gorilla as a native, is in the +territory about sixty or seventy miles north-west of Stanley Pool. + +I am indebted to the late Carl Steckelmann, who was drowned at Mayumba +in my presence last October. He was an old resident of the coast, a +good explorer, a careful observer, and an extensive traveller. I knew +him well, and secured from him much information concerning the gorilla. +He traced out with me, on a map, what he believed to be the south and +south-east limits of the gorilla. Not thirty minutes before the fatal +accident in which he lost his life, I had closed arrangements with +him to make an expedition from Mayumba to the Congo, near Stanley +Pool, by one route, and return by another, but his death prevented its +fulfilment. + +Dr. Wilson, who was the first missionary at Gaboon and located there +in 1842, wrote a lexicon of the native language about six years after +that time. In this he entirely omits the name of the gorilla. Dr. +Walker eight years later gave the definition, "a monkey larger than a +man." But he had never seen a specimen of the ape, except the skulls +and a skeleton which were brought from other parts. It is true that +Dr. Savage first learned at Gaboon about the gorilla, and secured a +skull at that place from which he made drawings, and on which account +his name was attached to the animal in Natural History. Dr. Ford a few +years later sent the first skeleton to America, and Captain Harris +sent the first to England. The former is in the Museum of Zoology at +Philadelphia. Both of these specimens may have come from any place a +hundred miles away from Gaboon. + +It is possible at this early date the gorilla may have occupied the +peninsula south of the Gaboon River, in greater numbers than he has +ever done since, because up to that time there had been no demand for +him; but if such was true at that time, it is not so now, and if he is +not extinct in that part, he is so rare as to make it doubtful whether +or not he is found there at all. + +In four journeys along the Ogowe River and the lakes of that valley, I +made careful inquiries at many of the towns, and the natives assured +me that the gorillas lived on the south side of that river. I spent +five days at the village of Mbiro, which is located on the north side +of the river and about fifty miles from the coast. There I was told by +the native woodsmen that no gorillas lived on the north side, but there +were plenty of them along the lakes south of the river. They said that +in the forest back of that town were plenty of chimpanzees, and that +they were sometimes mistaken for gorillas, but there were absolutely +none of the latter in that part. In view of these and countless other +facts, I deem it safe to say that few or no gorillas can be found north +of the Ogowe River at any point, and I even doubt if the specimen heard +of on the Komo was a genuine gorilla. The natives sometimes claim to +have something of the kind for sale in order to get a bonus from some +trader, when in truth he may not have anything of the kind. + +The only point north of the Ogowe at which I had any reason to believe +a gorilla could be found was in the neighbourhood of a small lake +called Inenga. This lake is nearly due west from the mouth of the Nguni +River and something more than a hundred miles from the coast. Certain +reports along that part appeared to have some flavour of truth, but +there was no proof except the word of the natives. + +In the lake region south of the river they are fairly abundant as far +south as the head-waters of the Rembo Nkami and through the low country +of the Esyira tribe, but they are very rare in the forests, and unknown +in the highlands and plains of this country. South of the Chi Loango +they are quite unknown, and south of the Congo never heard of. + +There are no means possible to estimate their number, but they are not +so numerous as may be supposed, and from the reckless slaughter of them +by the natives in order to secure them for white men, they may soon +become extinct. Their ferocity alone has saved them up to this time +from such a fate, but the use of approved arms will soon overcome that. + +The skeleton of the gorilla is so nearly the same as that of the +chimpanzee, which has elsewhere been compared to the human skeleton, +that we shall not review the comparison at length, but must note one +marked feature in the external form of the skull, which differs alike +from other apes and man. + +The skull of the young gorilla is much like that of the chimpanzee, +and remains so until he approaches the adult state; but as he +approaches this period, the ridge above the eyes becomes more +prominent, and at the same time a sharp, bony ridge begins to develop +along the temples, and continues around the back of the head on that +part of the skull called the occiput. At this point it is intersected +by another ridge at right angles to it. This is called the sagittal +ridge, and runs along the top of the head towards the face; but on the +forehead it flattens nearly to the level of the skull, and divides +into two very low ridges, which turn off to a point above the eyes +and merges into that ridge. These appear to be a continuous part of +the skull, and are not joined to it by sutures. The mesial crest in +very old specimens rises to the height of nearly two inches above the +surface of the skull, and imparts to it a fierce and savage aspect; +but in the living animal the crests are not seen, as the depressions +between them are filled with large muscles, which make the head look +very much larger than it would otherwise. These crests affect only the +exterior of the skull, and do not appear to alter the form or size +of the brain cavity, which is larger in proportion than that of the +chimpanzee. These crests are peculiar to the male gorilla, and the +female skull shows no trace of them. + +[Illustration: PLATE I] + +[Illustration: PLATE II] + +There is at least one case in which this crest has failed to develop in +the male. By reference to the series of skulls found in the cuts given +herewith, No. 6 is that of an adult male, which I know to be such, as +I dissected him and prepared the skeleton myself. He was killed +in the basin of Lake Fernan Vaz, not more than two or three hours from +my cage, and his body was brought to me at once. A good idea of his +size can be obtained by reference to another cut given herewith, where +I have some natives skinning him. In this picture he is sitting flat +on the sand; his body is limp, and is somewhat shorter than it was in +life, and yet it can be seen that the top of his head is higher than +the hip of the man who is holding him. On the left of the gorilla, in +the foreground, sits the man who killed him. He is sitting on a log, +and it did not occur to me until too late to place them side by side +in order to make a comparison. The body and head of this gorilla as +he sits measured nearly four feet from the base of the spinal column +to the top of the head. I did not weigh him, but made an estimate by +lifting him in my hand, and believed he weighed at least 240 lbs. Yet +he was not an old specimen, but if compared to No. 7, in which the +crests are well developed, it is found to be larger, and other things +point to the fact that he was older. + +I am aware that one specimen of itself does not prove anything, but it +shows in this case that this ape does not always develop that crest. +His head was surmounted by the red crown which we have described, +and No. 1, which is the skull of Othello, had the same mark. He was +captured near the place where No. 6 was killed. No. 2, which is the +skull of a young female nearly four years old, had the same, and she +was also captured in the same basin, but on the opposite side of the +lake. + +The facial bones of No. 6 showed that the animal had received a severe +blow in early life, but the fragments had knitted together, and the +effect could not be seen in the face of the ape while alive. In this +same picture it will be noticed that the lower lip hangs down so low +that the mouth is opened. The lip is very massive and mobile, and in +this character he resembles the negro. The lower lip is much thicker +and more flexible than the upper. + +No. 8 is the skull of a large male from Lake Izanga, which is on the +south side of the Ogowe River, more than a hundred miles from the +coast, and is one of the three centres of population mentioned. I do +not know its history. It was presented to me by Mr. James Deemin, an +English trader with whom I travelled many days in the Ogowe River; and +I wish here to take occasion to express my sincere thanks to him for +the many kindnesses extended to me. + +No. 5 is the skull of an adult female. By comparing it in profile to +No. 6 it will be seen that they resemble, but the muzzle of the latter +projects a little more, and the curvature of the skull across the top +is less: the distance a little greater. + +Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are female; the others are all male. + +Nos. 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 10 belong to the Liverpool Museum, but are shown +here for comparison. The other four are all at Toronto University. + +While this series is not complete in either sex, it is an excellent one +for comparative study. + +I do not know whether the heads of those with the crests were the +same colour as No. 6 or not, but the _ntyii_, which I have mentioned +as possibly a new species of the gorilla, does not have this crown of +red. His ears are also said to be larger than those of the gorilla, but +smaller than the chimpanzee's, and he is reputed to grow to a larger +size than either of them. + +The skin of the gorilla is a dull black or mummy colour over the body, +but that of the face is a jet black, quite smooth and soft. It looks +almost like velvet. + +One fact peculiar to this ape is, that the palms of both hands and +feet are perfectly black. In other animals these are usually lighter +in colour than the exposed parts. In all races of men, in all other +apes, monkeys, baboons, and lemurs, the palms are lighter than the +backs of the hands, and the same is true of the feet. The thumb of the +gorilla is more perfect than that of the chimpanzee, yet it is smaller +in proportion to the hand than in man. The hand is very large, but has +more the shape of the hand of a woman than that of man. The fingers +taper in a graceful manner, but appear much shorter, by reason of the +web alluded to, than they really are. It is not really a web, in the +true sense, but the integument between the fingers is extended down +almost to the second joint, but the forward edge of the web, when the +fingers are spread, is concave; when brought together, the skin on the +knuckles becomes wrinkled, and the web almost disappears. This effect +is more readily noticed in the living animal than in the dead. The +texture of the skin in the palms is coarsely granulated, and the palmar +lines are indistinct. The great toe sets at an angle from the side of +the foot, like a thumb, but has more prehensile power than that of the +hand; but the foot is much less flexible, and has less prehensile power. + +At this point I desire to draw attention to one important fact. The +tendons of the foot, which open and close the digits, are imbedded in +the palm in a deep layer of coarse, gristly matter, which forms a pad, +as it were, under the sole of the foot, and prevents it from bending; +therefore it is not possible for the gorilla to sleep on a perch. In +this respect he resembles man more than the chimpanzee does, but it +is quite certain that neither of them have the arboreal habit. The +gorilla is an expert climber, but cannot sleep in a tree. In the hand +the tendons which close the fingers are the same length as the line of +the bones, and this permits him to open the fingers to a straight line, +which the chimpanzee cannot do. + +One other important point I desire to mention. The muscles in the leg +of a gorilla will not permit it to stand or walk erect. The large +muscle at the back of the leg is shorter than the line of the bones +of the leg above and below the knee; and when this muscle is brought +to a tension, those bones form an angle of about 130 degrees, or +thereabouts; and so long as the sum of two sides of a triangle is +greater than the other side, a gorilla can never bring his leg into a +straight line. In the infant state the muscle is pliant or elastic, +and the bones less rigid, so that in that state it can be made nearly +straight. The habit of hanging by the arms and walking with them in a +straight line develops the corresponding muscle in that member, so that +the bones can be brought in line. + +The gorilla can stand upon his feet alone, and walk a few steps in that +position; but his motion is awkward, because his knees turn outward, +forming an angle of 30 or 35 degrees on either side of the mesial +plain. He never attempts to walk in this position, except at perfect +leisure, and then usually holds on to something with his hands. The +tallest gorilla known, when perfectly erect, is about 6 feet 2 inches. + +The leg of the gorilla from the knee to the ankle is almost the same +size. In the human leg there is what is called the "calf" of the leg, +but this in the apes is very small; however, there is a slight tendency +in that direction, and it must be noted that in the human species the +calf of the leg appears to belong to the higher types of men; and as we +descend from the highest races of mankind this character disappears as +we approach the savage. The pigmies and the bushmen have the smallest +of any other men. It is not to be inferred from this that apes would +ever have this feature developed in them by elevating them to a higher +plane so long as they remained apes; but it is possible that such a +result would follow in the course of time. + +One thing which tends to lessen this in the gorilla is the size of the +muscles about the ankle and the flexibility of that joint. Also the +joint of the knee, being much larger in proportion to the leg, makes +the calf appear smaller than it really is. + +The corresponding part of the arm is more like that part of the human +body. + +In a sitting posture the gorilla rests his body upon the ischial +bones, with his legs extended or crossed, while the chimpanzee usually +squats, resting those bones upon his heels. He sometimes sits, but more +frequently squats. When in these attitudes, both usually fold their +arms across their breasts. + +The hair of the gorilla is irregular in growth. It is more dense than +that of the chimpanzee, but less uniform in size and distribution. +On the breast it is very sparse, on the arms, long, and on the back, +dense, and interspersed with long coarse hairs. The ground of colour +is black, but the extreme end of the hair is tipped with pale white. +This is so in early youth, and with age the white encroaches, until, +in extreme age, the animal is quite grey. The top of the head is +covered with a thick growth of short hair, of a dark tan colour, which +looks almost like a wig. This mark seems to be peculiar to certain +localities, but is uniform among those captured in the Fernan Vaz basin. + +[Illustration: YOUNG GORILLA WALKING] + +A white trader living on this lake claims to have seen a gorilla which +was perfectly white. It was seen on the plain near the lake. It was +in company with three or four others. It was thought to be an albino, +but in my opinion it was only a very aged specimen turned grey. A few +of them have been secured that were almost white. It is not, however, +such a shade of white as would be found in an animal whose normal +colour is white. I cannot vouch for the colour of this ape seen on the +plain, but there must have been something peculiar in it to attract so +much attention among the natives. + +So far, only one species of this ape is known to science, but there +are reasons to believe that two species exist. In the forest regions +of Esyira the natives described to me another kind of ape, which they +averred was a half-brother to the gorilla. They know the gorilla by +the native name _njina_, and the other type by the name _ntyii_. They +did not confuse this with the native name _ntyigo_, which is the name +of the chimpanzee, nor with _kulu-kamba_, all of which are known to +them; but they described in detail, and quite correctly, the three +known kinds of ape, and in addition gave me a minute account of the +appearance and habits of the fourth kind, which I believe to be another +species of the gorilla. They claim that he is more intelligent and +human-like than any one of the others; and they say that his superior +wisdom makes him more alert, and therefore more difficult to find. He +is said always to live in parts of the forest most remote from human +habitation. + +The dental formula of the gorilla is the same as that of man, but +the teeth are larger and stronger, and the canine teeth are developed +almost into huge tusks. One thing to be remarked is the great variety +of malformations in the teeth of this animal. It is a rare thing to +find among them a perfect set of teeth, except in infancy. The cause of +this appears to be violence or accident. + +The eyes of the gorilla are large, dark, and expressive, but there +is no trace of white in them. That part of the eye which is white in +man is a dark coffee-brown in the gorilla, but becomes lighter as it +approaches the base of the optic nerve. The taxidermist or the artist, +who often furnishes him with a white spot in the corner of his eye, +does violence to the subject; and those who pose the animal with his +mouth open like a fly-trap, and his arms raised like a lancer, ought +to be banished from good society. It is true that such things lend an +aspect of ferocity to the creature, but they are caricatures of the +thing they mean to portray. + +The ears of the gorilla are very small, and lie close to the sides of +the head. The model of them is much like the human ear. + +I shall not pursue the comparison into minute details, but leave +that to the specialist, in whose hands it will be treated with more +skill and greater scope. As my especial line of research has been +in the study of their speech and habits, I shall confine myself to +that, but the general comparison I have made is necessary to a better +understanding of the subject. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +HABITS OF THE GORILLA + + +A study of the habits of the gorilla in a wild state is attended with +much difficulty, but the results that I obtained during a sojourn +of one year among them are an ample reward for the efforts made. In +a state of captivity the habits of animals are made to conform in a +measure to their surroundings, and since those are different many of +their habits differ also. Some are foregone, others modified, and new +ones acquired, therefore we cannot know with certainty what the animal +was in a state of nature. In the social life of the gorilla there are a +few things perhaps that differ very much from that of the chimpanzee, +but there are some that do in a certain degree. From the native +accounts of the modes of life of these two apes, there would appear to +be a much greater difference than a systematic study of them reveals; +but the native version of things frequently has a germ of truth which +may serve as a clue to the facts in the case; and while we cannot rely +upon the tales they relate in all details, we can forgive the mendacity +and make use of the suggestion they furnish. + +It is certain that the gorilla is polygamous in habit, and it is +probable that he has an incipient idea of government. Within certain +limits he has a faint perception of order and justice, if not of right +and wrong. I do not mean to ascribe to him the highest attributes of +man, or exalt him above the plane to which his faculties assign him; +but there are reasons to justify the belief that he occupies a higher +social and mental sphere than other animals, except the chimpanzee. + +In the beginning of his career, in independent life, the gorilla +selects a wife with whom he appears to sustain the conjugal relations +thereafter, and preserves a certain degree of marital fidelity. From +time to time he adopts a new wife, but does not discard the old one; +in this manner he gathers around him a numerous family, consisting of +his wives and their children. Each mother nurses and cares for her own +young, but all of them grow up together as the children of one family. +There is no doubt that the mother sometimes corrects and sometimes +chastises her young, which suggests a vague idea of propriety. The +father exercises the function of patriarch in the sense of a ruler, and +the natives call him _ikomba njina_, which means gorilla king. To him +the others all show a certain amount of deference. Whether this is due +to fear or to respect, however, is not certain, but here is at least +the first principle of dignity. + +The gorilla family, consisting of this one adult male and a number of +females and their young, are within themselves a nation. There do +not appear to be any social relations between different families, but +within the same household there is apparent harmony. + +The gorilla is nomadic, and rarely ever spends two nights in the +same place. Each family roams about in the bush from place to place +in search of food, and wherever they may be when night comes on they +select a place to sleep and retire. The largest family of gorillas that +I have ever heard of was estimated to contain twenty members. But the +usual number is not more than ten or twelve. The chimpanzee appears +to go in larger groups than these, and sometimes in a single group +two or even three adult males have been seen. When the young gorilla +approaches the adult state, he leaves the family group, finds himself +a mate, and sets out in the world for himself. I observed that, as a +rule, when one gorilla was seen alone in the forest it was usually a +young male, but nearly grown; it is probable that he was then in search +of a wife. At other times two only are seen together, and in this +event they are usually a pair of male and female, and generally young. +Again, it sometimes occurs that three adults are seen with two or three +children; often one of the children two or three years old, and the +others a year younger, which would indicate that the male had had one +of his wives much longer than the other. In large families young ones +of all ages, from one year old to five or six years old, are seen; but +the fact is plain that the older children are much fewer in number. I +have once seen a large female with her babe, quite alone; whether she +lived alone or was only absent for the moment I cannot tell. + +The king gorilla does not provide food for his family, but, on the +contrary, it is said they provide for him. I have been informed on two +occasions, from different sources, that the king gorilla has been seen +sitting quietly under the shade of a tree, eating, while the others +collected and brought to him the food. I have never witnessed such a +scene myself, but it does not seem probable that the same story would +have come from two sources unless there was some foundation for it. + +In the matter of government, the gorilla appears to be somewhat more +advanced than most animals. He leads the others on the march, and +selects their feeding grounds and places to sleep; he breaks camp, and +the others all obey him in these respects. Other animals that travel +in groups do the same thing; but in addition to this, the natives aver +that the gorillas from time to time hold palavers or a rude form of +court or council in the jungle. On these occasions, it is said the king +presides; that he sits alone in the centre, while the others stand or +sit in a rough semicircle about him, and talk in an excited manner. +Sometimes the whole of them are talking at once, but what it means or +alludes to no native undertakes to say, except that it has the nature +of a quarrel. To what extent the king gorilla exercises the judicial +function is a matter of grave doubt, but there appears to be some real +ground for the story. + +As to the succession of the kingship there is no certainty, but the +facts point to the belief that on the death of the king, if there be +an adult male he assumes the royal prerogative, otherwise the family +disbands, and they are absorbed by or attached to other families. +Whether this new leader is elected in the manner that other animals +appoint a leader, or assumes it by reason of his age, cannot be said; +but there is no doubt that in many instances families remain intact for +a time after the death of their leader. + +It has been said by many that the gorilla builds a rude hut or shelter +for himself and family, but I have found no evidence that such is +true. The natives declare that he does so, and some white men affirm +the same; but during my travels through their habitat, I offered +liberal and frequent rewards to any native who would show me one of +these specimens of simian architecture, but I was never able to find +any trace of one made or occupied by any ape. They may sometimes, and +doubtless do, take shelter from the tornadoes, but it is always under +some fallen tree or cluster of broad leaves, and there is nothing to +show that they arrange any part of them. So far as I could find, there +is no proof that any gorilla ever put two sticks together with the idea +of shelter. As to his throwing sticks or stones at an enemy, I have +found nothing to verify it; in my opinion, it is a mere freak of fancy. + +The current opinion or idea that a gorilla will attack a man without +being provoked to it, is an error. He is shy and timid, and shrinks +alike from man and other large animals. I have no doubt that when he is +in a rage he is both fierce and powerful, but his ferocity and strength +are rated above their true value. In combat he is a stubborn foe no +doubt, but no one that I have met has ever seen him thus engaged. + +The mode of attack as described by many travellers is a mere theory. +It is said in this act he walks erect, beats with fury on his breast, +roars and yells, and in this manner seizes his adversary, tears open +his breast, and drinks the blood. I have never seen a large gorilla +in the act of assault. During the time of my stay in the jungle I had +a young gorilla in captivity, and I made use of him in studying the +habits of his race. I kept him tied with a long line which allowed +him room to play and climb, and at the same time prevented him from +escaping into the forest, which he always tried to do the instant he +was released. I released him frequently for the purpose of watching his +mode of attack when recaptured. While being pursued he rarely looked +back, but when overtaken he invariably assailed his captor. This gave +me an opportunity of seeing his method of attack, in which he displayed +both skill and judgment. As my boy would approach him, he would calmly +turn with one side to the foe and, without facing the boy, would roll +his eyes in such a manner as to see him and at the same time conceal +his purpose. When the boy came within reach, the gorilla would grasp +him with a thrust of the arm to one side and slightly backward. When +he had seized his adversary by the leg, he would instantly swing the +other arm round with a long sweep and strike the boy a hard blow; then +he began to use his teeth. He seemed to depend more upon the blow than +the grasp, but the latter served to hold the object of attack within +reach; in every case he kept one arm and one leg in reserve until he +had seized his adversary. It is true that these attacks were made upon +an enemy in pursuit, but his mode appeared to be a normal one; he +could strike a severe blow, and did not show any sign of tearing or +scratching his opponent. In these attacks he made no sound of any kind. +I do not pretend to say that other gorillas do not scream or tear their +victims, but I take it that the habits of the young are much, if not +quite, the same as those of their parents, and from a study of this +specimen I am forced to modify many opinions imbibed from reading or +from pictures and specimens which I have seen. Many of them represent +the gorilla in absurd and sometimes impossible attitudes. They +certainly do not represent him as I have seen him in his native wilds. + +When the chimpanzee attacks, so far as I have seen among my own +specimens, he approaches his enemy and strikes with both hands, one +slightly in advance of the other. After striking a few blows, he will +grasp his opponent and use his teeth, then shoving him away again +uses his hands, and usually, on beginning the attack, accompanies the +assault with a loud, piercing scream. Neither he nor the gorilla +closes the hand to strike, nor uses any weapon except the hands and +teeth. I had another young female gorilla for a short time as a subject +for study. Her mode of attack appeared to be the same, but she was too +large to risk in such experiments. + +I have read and heard descriptions of the sounds made by the gorilla, +but nothing ever conveyed to my mind an adequate idea of their true +nature, until I heard them myself within a few hundred feet of my +cage in the dead of night. By some it has been called roaring, and by +others howling; but it is neither truly a roar nor a howl. They utter a +peculiar combination of sounds, beginning in a low, smooth tone, which +rapidly increases in pitch and frequency, until it becomes a terrific +scream. The first part of the series is quite within the scope of the +human voice, but as it rises in pitch and increases in volume it passes +far beyond the reach of the human lungs. The first sound of the series +and each alternate sound is made by expiration, while the intermediate +ones appear to be by inspiration, but how it is accomplished is +difficult to say. The sound as a whole resembles the braying of an +ass, except the notes are shorter, the climax higher, and the sound is +louder. A gorilla does not yell in this manner every night, but when he +does so it is usually between two and five o'clock in the morning; I +have never heard the sound during the day nor in the early part of the +night. When he thus screams, he repeats the series from ten to twenty +times, at intervals of one or two minutes each. I know of nothing in +the way of vocal sounds that can inspire such terror as the voice of +the gorilla. It can be heard over a distance of three or four miles. I +could assign no definite meaning to it unless it was intended to alarm +some intruder that came too near. + +One morning between three and four o'clock I heard two of them +screaming at the same time. I do not mean to say at the same instant, +but at intervals during the same period of time. One of them was within +about a third of a mile of me, and the other in another direction +perhaps a mile away. The points we occupied respectively formed a +scalene triangle. The sounds did not appear to have any reference to +each other. Sometimes they would alternate, and at other times they +would interrupt each other. They were both made by giants of their +kind, and every leaf in the forest vibrated with the sound. This was +during the latter part of May. They do scream in this way from time to +time throughout the year, but it is most frequent and violent during +February and March. + +This wild screaming is sometimes accompanied by a peculiar beating +sound. It has been described by travellers, and currently believed to +be made by the animal beating with his hands upon his breast; but such +is not the case. It is very certain that the sound cannot be made by +that means. The quality of the sound shows that such cannot be the +means employed. I have heard this beating several times, and have paid +marked attention to its character. At a great distance it would be +difficult to discern the exact quality; but on one occasion, while +stopping over-night in a native town, I was aroused from sleep by a +gorilla screaming and beating within a few hundred yards. I put on my +boots, took my rifle, and cautiously crossed the open ground between +the village and the forest. This brought me within about two hundred +yards of the animal. The moon was faintly shining, but I could not see +the beast, and I had no desire to approach nearer at such a time, but I +heard distinctly every stroke. I believe the sound was made by beating +upon a log or piece of dead wood. He was beating with both hands, the +strokes alternating with great rapidity, and not unlike the manner +in which the natives beat a drum, except that the hand made the same +number of strokes, and the strokes were in a constant series, rising +and falling from very soft to very loud, and _vice versa_. A number of +these runs followed one another during the time the voice continued. +Between the first and second strokes the interval was slightly longer +than that between the second and third, and so on through the scale. As +the beating increased in loudness the interval shortened in an inverse +degree, while in descending the scale the intervals lengthened as the +beating softened, and the author of the sound was conscious of this +fact. I could trace no relation in time or harmony between the sound of +the voice and the beating, except that they began at the same time and +ended at the same time. The same series of vocal sounds was repeated +each time, beginning on the low note and ending on the highest note +or pitch in each case, while the rise and fall of the series of the +beaten sounds was not measured by the duration of the voice. The series +each time began with a soft note, but ended at any part of the scale at +which the voice ceased, and was not the same in every case. + +[Illustration: NATIVE CARRIER BOY] + +I have no doubt that the gorilla beats upon his breast: he has been +seen to do so in captivity, but the sounds described above were not so +made. Since the gorilla makes these sounds only at night, it is not +probable that any man ever saw him in the act. It does not require a +delicate sense of hearing to distinguish a sound made by beating the +breast from that of dead wood or other similar substance. + +I have attributed the above sound to the gorilla, because I have been +assured by many white men and scores of natives that it was made by +him; but since my return from Africa I have had time to consider and +digest certain facts tabulated on that trip, and as a result I am led +to doubt whether this sound is made by the gorilla or not. There are +good reasons to believe that it is made by the chimpanzee instead, and +I shall state them. + +I observed that my own chimpanzees made this sound exactly the same +as that I heard in the forest, except that it was less in volume, +which was due to their age. I could induce them at any time to make +the sound, and frequently did so in order to study it. On my arrival +in New York I found that Chico, the big chimpanzee belonging to Mr. +Bailey, frequently made the same sound at night. It was said to be so +loud and piercing that it fairly shook the stately walls of Madison +Square Garden. From reading the description given by the late Professor +Romanes of the sound made by "Sally" in the London Gardens, it appears +to be the same sound. + +It is well known to the natives that the chimpanzees beat on some +sonorous body, which they call a drum. Four years ago I called +attention to the habit of the two chimpanzees in the Cincinnati +Gardens. They frequently indulged in beating upon the floor of their +cage with their knuckles. This was done chiefly by the male. The late +E. J. Glave described to me the same thing, as being done by the +chimpanzees in the Middle Congo basin. + +It is not probable that two animals of different genera utter the +same exact sound, and this is more especially true of a sound that is +complex or prolonged. Neither is it likely that the two would have a +common habit, such as beating on any sonorous body. Since it is certain +that one of these apes does make the sound described, it is more than +probable that the other does not. The same logic applies to the beating. + +Many things that are known of the chimpanzee are taken for granted in +the gorilla, but it is erroneous to suppose that in such habits as +these they would be identical. In some cases I have been able to prove +quite conclusively that the chimpanzee alone did certain things which +were ascribed to the gorilla. + +In view of these facts alone, I am inclined to believe that after all, +the sound described is made by the chimpanzee and not by the gorilla. + +Another case in which the gorilla is portrayed is wrong. The female +gorilla is represented as carrying her young clinging to her waist. +I have seen the mother in the forest with her young mounted upon +her back, with its arms around her neck and its feet hooked in her +armpits. I have never seen the male carry the young, but in a number of +specimens of advanced age I have seen a mark upon the back and sides +which indicates that he does so. It is in the same place that the young +rest upon the back of the mother. In form it is like an inverted =Y=, +with the base resting on the neck and the prongs reaching under the +arms. This mark is not one of nature, but appears to be the imprint of +something carried there. In a few specimens the hair is worn off until +the skin is almost bare. The prongs are more worn than the stem of the +figure, which is due to the fact that more weight is borne upon those +parts than elsewhere. I do not assert that such is the cause, but it is +worthy of note that such is the fact. + +The gorilla is averse to human society. He is morose and sullen in +captivity. He frets and pines for his liberty. His face appears to be +incapable of expressing anything like a smile, but when in repose it +is not repugnant. In anger his visage depicts the savage instincts +of his nature. The one which lived with me for a time in the forest +was a sober, solemn, stoical creature, and nothing could arouse in +him a spirit of mirth. The only pastime he indulged in was turning +somersaults. Almost every day, at intervals of an hour or so, he would +stand up for a moment, then put his head upon the ground, turn over +like a boy, rise to his feet again, and look at me as if expecting my +applause. He would frequently repeat this act a dozen times or more, +but never smiled or evinced any sign of pleasure. He was selfish, +cruel, vindictive, and retiring. + +One peculiar habit of the gorilla, both wild and in captivity, is that +of relaxing the lower lip when in repose. They drop the lid until a +small red line appears across the mouth from side to side. It is not +done when in a sullen mood, but when perplexed or in a deep study. + +Another constant habit is to protrude the end of the tongue between the +lips, until it is about even with the outer edge of them. The end of +the tongue is somewhat more blunted than that of the human. This habit +is so frequent with the young gorilla that it would appear to have some +meaning, but I cannot suggest what it is. + +The habit of the gorilla, in sleeping, is to lie upon the back or side, +with one or both arms placed under the head as a pillow. He cannot +sleep on a perch, as we have already noted, but lies upon the ground at +night. I had once pointed out to me the place at the base of a large +tree where a school of them had slept the night before. One imprint was +quite distinct. The stories told about the king gorilla placing his +family in a tree while he sits on watch at the base, is another case of +supposition. + +[Illustration: A YOUNG GORILLA ASLEEP] + +The food of the gorilla is not confined to plants and fruits. They are +fond of meat, and eat it either raw or cooked. They secure a small +supply by catching rodents of various kinds, lizards and toads; they +are also known to rob the nests of birds of the eggs, and of the young. +A native once pointed out to me the quills and bones of a porcupine +which he said had been left by a gorilla who had eaten the carcass, and +he said that it was not at all rare for them to do so. The fruits and +plants they live upon chiefly are acidulous in taste, and some of them +are bitter. They often eat the fruit of the plantain, but prefer the +stalk, which they twist and break open and eat the succulent heart of +the plant. They do the same with the _batuna_, which grows all through +the forest. The fruit of this plant is a red pod filled with seeds +imbedded in a soft pulp, it is slightly acidulate and astringent. The +wild mangrove which forms a staple article of food for the chimpanzee +is rarely, if ever, touched by the gorilla, and the same is true of +many other plants and fruits. I once saw a gorilla try to seize a +dog, but whether it was for the purpose of eating the flesh or not I +cannot say. One, however, did catch and devour a small dog on board the +steamer _Nubia_, while on a voyage home from Africa. Both belonged to +Captain Button, who assured me of the fact. They have no fixed hours +for eating, but usually do so in the early morning or late afternoon. I +have, in a few instances, seen them refuse meat. They are perhaps less +devoted to eating flesh than the chimpanzee. + +In the act of drinking, the gorilla will take a cup, place the rim in +his mouth and drink like a human being. He does this without being +taught, while the chimpanzee prefers to put both lips in the vessel. I +have never known one that would drink beer, spirits, coffee or soup, +but their drink is limited to milk or water, while the chimpanzee +drinks beer and other things as well. + +[Illustration: NATIVE WOMEN OF THE INTERIOR] + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +OTHELLO AND OTHER GORILLAS + + +While I was living in my cage in the jungle I secured a young gorilla, +to whom I gave the name "Othello." He was about one year old, strong, +hardy and robust. I found him to be a fine subject for study, and made +the best use of him for that purpose. I have elsewhere described his +character, but his illness and death are matters of profound interest. + +At noon on the day of his decease he was quite well and in fine humour. +He was turning somersaults and playing like a child with my native boy. +In his play he evinced a certain interest, and his actions indicated +that it gave him pleasure, but his face never once betrayed the fact. +It was amusing to see him with the actions of a romping child and the +face of a cynic. + +He was supplied with plenty of native food, had a good appetite, and +ate with a relish. Just after noon I sent the boy on an errand, and he +was expected to return about night. Near the middle of the afternoon +I observed that Othello was ill; he declined to eat or drink, and lay +on his back on the ground, with his arms under his head as a pillow. +I tried to induce him to walk with me, to play, or to sit up, but he +refused to do so. By four o'clock he was very ill. He rolled from side +to side, and groaned as if in pain. He kept one hand upon his stomach, +where the pain appeared to be located. He displayed all the symptoms of +gastric poisoning, and I have reason to believe now that the boy had +given him poison. I should regret to foster this suspicion against an +innocent person, but it is based upon certain facts that I have learned +since that time. + +While I sat in my cage watching Othello, who lay on the ground a short +distance away, I discovered a native approaching him from the jungle. +The man had an uplifted spear in his hand, as if in the act of hurling +it at something. He had not seen me, but it did not for the moment +occur to me that he had designs upon my pet. I spoke to him in the +native language, when he explained that he had seen the young gorilla, +and from that fact suspected there was an old one close at hand, for +whose attack he was prepared: that he was not afraid of the little one, +but desired to capture it. I informed him that my gorilla was ill. He +examined it, and assured me that it would die. The man departed, and +Othello continued to grow worse. His sighing and groaning were really +touching. I gave him an emetic, which took effect with good results. +I also used some vaperoles to resuscitate him, but my skill was not +sufficient to meet the demands of his case. + +His conduct was so like that of a human being that it deeply impressed +me, and being alone with him in the silence of the dreary forest at the +time of his demise, gave the scene a touch of sadness that impressed me +with a deeper sense of its reality; and Moses watched the dying ape as +if he knew what it meant. He showed no signs of regret, but his manner +was such as to suggest that he knew it was a trying hour. + +Othello died just before sunset, but for a long time prior to this he +was unconscious. The only movements made by him were spasmodic actions +of the muscles caused by pain. The fixed and vacant stare of his eyes +in this last hour was so like those of man in the hour of dissolution, +that no one could look upon the scene and fail to realise the solemn +fact that this was death. The next day I dissected him, and prepared +the skin and skeleton to bring home with me. They are now, with Moses +and others, in the Museum of the University of Toronto; and if the +taxidermist who mounts the skin of Othello poses him like most of the +craft do--in the attitude of dancing a fandango and the corners of his +mouth forming obtuse angles--I will have that man executed if I have to +bribe the court. + +When I first secured this ape and brought him to my home in the bush, +he was placed on the ground a few feet from my cage, and near him was +laid some bananas and sugar-cane for Moses, who had not yet seen the +stranger. The gorilla was in a box with one side open, so that he +could easily be seen. My purpose was to see how each one would act +on discovering the other. When Moses observed the food he proceeded +to help himself. On seeing the gorilla he paused a moment and gave me +an alarm, but he was not himself deterred from taking a banana, which +he seized and retreated. While he was eating the banana, I took the +gorilla from the cage and set him on the ground by it. I petted him, +and gave him some food. Moses looked on, but did not interfere. I +returned to my cage, and Moses proceeded to investigate the new ape. +He approached slowly and cautiously within about three feet of it. He +walked around it a couple of times, keeping his face towards it, and +gradually getting a little nearer. At length he stopped by one side +of the gorilla, and came up within a few inches of it. He appeared to +stand almost on tiptoe, with only the ends of his fingers touching the +ground. The gorilla continued to eat his food without so much as giving +him a look. Moses placed his mouth near the ear of the gorilla and gave +one terrific yell. But the gorilla did not flinch or even turn his +eyes. Moses stood for a moment looking at him as if in surprise that +he had made no impression. After this time he made many overtures to +make friends with the gorilla, but the latter did not entertain them +with favour beyond maintaining terms of peace. They never quarrelled, +but Othello always treated him as an inferior. I do not know if he +entertained a real feeling of contempt, but his manner was such. + +There were but few articles of food that he and Moses liked in common, +and therefore they had no occasion to quarrel; but they never played +together or cultivated any friendly terms as the chimpanzees did among +themselves. This may have been due to the gorilla, who was so exclusive +in his demeanour towards the chimpanzee as to forbid all attempts +of the latter to become intimate. The chimpanzee by nature is more +sociable and is fond of human society. He imitates the actions of man +in many things, and quickly adapts himself to new conditions, while the +gorilla is selfish and retiring. He can seldom, if ever, be reconciled +to human society; he does not imitate man nor yield to the influences +of civilised life. + +One special trait of the gorilla which I wish to emphasise is that he +is one of the most taciturn, if not quite the most, of any member of +the simian family. This fact does not appear to confirm my theory as +to their high type of speech, but it is a fact so far as I observed, +although the natives say that they are as loquacious as the chimpanzee. +Among the specimens that I have studied, both wild and in captivity, I +have never heard but four sounds that differed from each other, and of +these only two could properly be defined as speech. I do not include +the screaming sound described in another chapter. I have not been able +so far to translate the sounds that I have heard, and they cannot be +spelled with letters. There is one sound which Othello often used. It +was not a speech sound, but a kind of whine, always coupled with a deep +sigh. When left alone for a time he became oppressed with solitude. +At such times he would heave a deep sigh and utter this strange sound. +The tone and manner strongly appealed to the feelings of others, and +while he did not appear to address it to any one or have any design in +making it, it always touched a sympathetic chord, and I was sometimes +tempted to release him. Another sound which was not within the pale of +speech was a kind of grumbling sound. This frequently occurred when he +was eating. It was not a growl in the proper sense, but was in a way a +kind of complaint. Twice I heard this same sound made by wild ones in +the forest near my cage. The only thing that I can compare it to in its +use is that habit of a cat while eating, to make a peculiar growling +sound, which appears to be done only when something else is near. It is +possibly intended to deter others from trying to take the food. + +During my life in the cage I saw a number of gorillas, but I shall only +describe a few of them, as their actions were similar in most instances. + +The first one that I had the pleasure of seeing in the jungle came +within a few yards of the cage before it was yet in order to receive. +He was not half grown. He must have been attracted by the noise made in +putting it together. He advanced with caution, and when I discovered +him he was peering through the bushes as if to ascertain the cause of +the sounds. When he saw me, he only tarried a few seconds and hurried +off into the jungle. I did not disturb or shoot at him, because I +desired him to return. + +On the third day after I went to live in the cage a family of ten +gorillas was seen to cross an open space along the back of a patch of +plantains near one of the villages. A small native boy was within about +twenty yards of them when they crossed the path in front of him. A few +minutes later I was notified of it, took my rifle, and followed them +into the jungle until I lost the trail. A few hours after this they +were again seen by some natives not far away from my cage, but they +did not come near enough to be seen or heard. The next day there was a +family came within some thirty yards of the cage. The bush was so dense +that I could not see them, but I could distinguish four or five voices. +They seemed to be engaged in a broil of some kind. I suppose it was the +same family that had been seen the day before. The second night after +this time I heard the screams of one in the forest some distance from +me, but I do not know whether it was the king of this family or another. + +One day, as I sat alone, a young gorilla, perhaps five years old, came +within six or seven yards of the cage and took a peep. I do not know +whether he was aware of its being there or not until he was so near. He +stood for a time, almost erect, with one hand holding on to a bough; +his lower lip was relaxed, showing the red line mentioned above, and +the end of his tongue could be seen between his parted lips. He did not +evince either fear or anger, but rather appeared to be amazed. I heard +him creeping through the bush a few seconds before I saw him, but as +a rule they move so stealthily as not to be heard. I know of no other +animal of equal weight that makes so little noise in going through the +forest. During the short time he stood gazing at me I sat still as a +statue, and I think he was in doubt as to whether I was alive or not. +He did not turn and run away, but after a brief pause turned off at an +angle and departed. He lost no time, but made no great haste. The only +sound he made was a low grunt, and this he did not repeat. + +At another time I heard two making a noise among the plantains near +me. I could only obtain a glimpse of them, but as well as I could see +they were of good size, being almost grown. They were making a low +sound from time to time, something like I have described, but I could +not see them well enough to frame any opinion as to what it meant. +They were certainly not quarrelling, and I am not sure that they were +eating, for I afterwards went and looked to see if I could find where +they had broken any of the stalks. Their trail was visible through the +grass and weeds, but I could find no stalk broken. They were moving +at a very leisurely gait, and must have been within hearing ten or +twelve minutes. They were quite alike in colour, and appeared to be so +in size, although it is well known that the adult male attains a much +greater size than the female. + +On one occasion when I was standing outside of the cage some twenty +yards away, Moses was sitting on a dead log near by. I turned to him, +and was just in the act of sitting down by him when he gave an alarm. +I looked around, and discovered a gorilla standing not more than twenty +yards away. He had just that moment discovered us. He gazed for a few +moments and started on, moving obliquely towards the cage. I turned to +retreat. At this instant Moses gave one of his piercing screams, which +frightened the gorilla and he fled. He changed his course almost at +right angles. He was going at a good rate before Moses screamed, but he +mended it at once. + +One day I heard three sounds which my boy assured me were gorillas; +they were in different directions from the cage. It was not a scream +nor a howl, but somewhat resembled the human voice calling out with +a sound like "he-oo!" This sound was repeated at intervals, but did +not appear to be in the relation of call and answer, and the animals +making them did not approach each other while doing so. The sounds +were the same except in volume, and one of them appeared to be made by +a much larger animal than the other two. I must say that this sound +rarely occurred within my hearing during all my stay in that part, and +with the exception of this time I never heard them make any loud sound +during the day. + +Another interesting specimen that I saw came prowling through the +jungle as if he had lost his way. He found a small opening, or tunnel, +which I had cut through the foliage in order to get a better view. +Turning into that, he came a few steps towards the cage before he +discovered it. Suddenly he stopped, squatted on the ground, but did +not sit flat down. For a few seconds he was motionless, and so was I. +He slowly raised one arm till his hand was above his head, in which +position he sat for a few seconds, when he moved his hand quickly +forward as if to motion at me. He did not drop his hand to the ground, +but held it at an angle from his face for a short time, then slowly +let it down till it reached the ground. During this time he kept his +eyes fixed on me. At length he raised the other arm and seized hold +of a strong bush, by which he slowly drew himself in a half-standing +position. Thus he stood for a few seconds, with one hand resting on +the ground. Suddenly he turned to one side, parted the bushes, and +instantly disappeared. He uttered no sound whatever. + +Another visitor that came within about thirty yards along the open path +which led to my retreat, stopped when he discovered me, and stared in a +perplexed manner. He turned away to retreat, but only went a few feet, +turned around, and sat down on the ground. He remained in that attitude +for more than half a minute, when he arose and retired in the direction +from which he came. + +The finest view that I ever had of any specimen, and at the same time +the best subject for study, was a large female that came within a +trifle more than three yards of me. There was a dog that belonged to +a village a mile or two away that had become attached to me, and had +found its way through the bush to my cage. He frequently came to visit +me in my retreat, and I was always glad to welcome him. One afternoon, +about three o'clock, he came, and I let him in the cage for a while +to pass the usual greetings. I had a bone of a goat which I had saved +from my last meal, and I threw this out to him in the bush a few feet +away from the cage. He seized the bone, and began to gnaw it where it +lay. His body was in the opening of a rough path cut through the jungle +near the cage, but his head was concealed under a clump of leaves. All +at once I caught a glimpse of some moving object at the edge of the +path on the opposite side of the cage. It was a huge female gorilla, +carrying a young one on her back. When I first saw her she was not more +than thirty feet away. She was creeping along the edge of the bushes +and watching the dog, who was busy with the bone. Her tread was so +stealthy that I could not hear the rustle of a leaf. She advanced a +few feet, crouched under the edge of the bushes, and cautiously peeped +at the dog. She advanced again a little way, halted, crouched, and +peeped again. It was evident that her purpose was to attack, and her +approach was so wary as to leave no doubt of her dexterity in attacking +a foe. Every movement was the embodiment of stealth. Her face wore a +look of anxiety with a touch of ferocity. Her movements were quick +but accurate, and her advance was not delayed by any indecision. The +dog had not discovered her, and the smell of the bone and the noise +he was making with it prevented his either smelling or hearing her. +I could not warn him without alarming her. If he could have seen her +before she made the attack, I should have left him to take his chances +by flight or by battle. I should have been glad of an opportunity to +witness such a combat and to study the actions of the belligerents, but +I could not consent to see a friendly dog taken at such disadvantage. +She was now rapidly covering the distance between them, and the dog +had not yet discovered her. When she reached a point within about four +yards of him I determined to break the silence. I cocked my rifle, and +the click of the trigger caught her attention. I think this was the +first thing that made her aware of my presence. She instantly stopped, +turned her face and body towards the cage, and sat down on the ground +in front of it. She gave me such a look that I almost felt ashamed of +having interfered. She sat for fully one minute staring at me as if +she had been transfixed. There was no trace of anger or of fear, but +the look of surprise was on every feature. I could see her eyes move +from my head to my feet. She scanned me as closely as if it had been +her purpose to purchase me. At length she glanced at the dog, who was +still eating the bone, then turned her head uneasily, as if to search +for some way of escape. She rose, and retraced her steps with moderate +haste; she did not run, but lost no time. She glanced back from time to +time to see that she was not pursued. She uttered no sound of any kind. + +From the time this ape came in view until she departed was about four +minutes, and during that time I was afforded an opportunity of studying +her in a way that no one else has ever been able to do. I watched every +movement of her body, face and eyes. I could sit with perfect composure +and study her without the fear of attack. With due respect for the +temerity of men, I do not believe that any sane man could calmly sit +and watch one of these huge beasts approach so near him without feeling +a tremor of fear, unless he was protected as I was. Any man would +either shoot or retreat, and he could not possibly study the subject +with equanimity. + +The temptation to shoot her was almost too great to resist, and the +desire to capture her babe made it all the more so; but up to that time +I had refrained from firing my gun anywhere within a radius of half a +mile or so of my cage, and the natives had agreed to the same thing. +My purpose in doing so was to avoid frightening the apes away from the +locality. I had been told by the native hunters before this, that if I +wounded one of them the others would leave the vicinity and not return +perhaps for weeks. They say if you kill one the others do not appear to +notice it so much as if it were wounded, although they seem to be aware +of the fact and for the time flee, but will return again within a short +time. + +I could have shot this one with perfect ease and safety. As she +approached, her head and breast were towards me; just before she +discovered me her left side was in plain view, and when she sat down +her breast was perfectly exposed, so that I could have shot her in the +heart, the breast, or the head. + +Her baby lay upon her back, with its arms embracing her neck and its +feet caught under her arms. The cunning little imp saw me long before +the mother did, but it gave her no warning of danger. It lay with its +cheek resting on the back of her head. Its black face looked as smooth +and soft as velvet. Its big brown eyes were looking straight at me, but +it betrayed no sign of fear or even of concern. It really had a pleased +expression, and was the nearest approach to a smile I have ever seen on +the face of a gorilla. I believe that this is their method of carrying +the young, and I have elsewhere assigned other reasons for this belief. +In this case it is not a matter of belief, but one of knowledge, and +everything that I have observed conspires to say that this is no +exception to the rule. + +During my sojourn of nearly four months in the jungle, where it was +said the greatest number of gorillas could be found of any other place +in the basin of that lake, I only saw a total of twenty-two, besides +one other that I saw at another time in the forest while I was hunting. +I only caught a glimpse of him, and should not even have done that had +not the native guide discovered and pointed him out to me. I believe +that no other white man has ever seen an equal number of these animals +in a wild state, and it is certain that no other has ever seen them +under as favourable conditions for study. I have compared notes with +many white men on that part of the coast, but I have never found any +reliable man who claims to have seen an equal number. I know men there +who have lived in that part for years, who frequently hunt in the +forest for days at a time, and yet never saw a live gorilla. I met one +man on my last voyage who has lived on the edge of the gorilla country +forty-nine years, makes frequent journeys through the bush and along +the watercourses in the interest of trade, and this man told me himself +that in all that time he had never seen a wild gorilla. I would cite +Mr. James A. Deemin as an expert woodsman, a cool, daring hunter, and +I have enjoyed several hunts with him. He has travelled, traded, and +hunted through the gorilla country for more than thirteen years, and +has told me that with one exception he had never seen but one wild +gorilla. This was a young one, and the exception alluded to was that he +one time saw a school of them at a distance. On this occasion he was +in a canoe and under the cover of the bushes along the side of a river +until he came near them unobserved. Another man, whose name I will take +the liberty of giving, is Mr. J. H. Drake, of Liverpool. Mr. Drake has +never been suspected by those who know him of lacking courage in the +hunt or being given to romance, and yet in many years on the coast he +never saw but one school of these apes, and that was the same one that +Mr. Deemin saw when they were travelling together. I could cite many +others to show that it is a rare thing for the most expert woodsman +ever to see one of these creatures, and many of the stories told by +the casual traveller cannot be received with implicit faith. I do not +mean to impeach the veracity of others, but fancy must have something +to do with the case. While we cannot prove the negative by direct +evidence, we must be permitted to doubt whether or not these apes are +so frequently met in the jungle as they are alleged to be. I will give +some reasons why I am a sceptic on this subject. + +Almost every yarn told by the novice is quite the same in substance +and much the same in detail as those related by others. It seems that +most of them meet the same old gorilla, still beating his breast and +screaming just as he did thirty years ago. The number of gun-barrels +that he is accused of having chewed up would make an arsenal that would +arm the volunteers. What becomes of all those that are attacked by this +fierce monarch of the jungle? Not one of them ever gets killed, and not +one of them ever kills a gorilla. Does he merely do this as a bluff +and then recede from the attack? Or does he follow it up and seize his +victim, tear him open and drink his blood as he is supposed to do? How +does the victim escape? What becomes of the assailant? Who lives to +tell the tale? + +The gorilla has good ears, good eyes, and is a skilful bushman. One +man walking through the jungle will make more noise than half a dozen +gorillas. The gorilla can always see and hear a man before he is seen +or heard by him. He is shy, and will not attack a man unless he is +disturbed by him. He is always on the alert for danger, and rarely +comes into the open parts of the bush except for food. He can conceal +himself with more ease than a man can, and has every advantage in +making his escape. I do not believe that he will ever approach a man if +he can evade him. I quite believe that he will make a strong defence +if surprised or attacked, but I do not believe it possible for any one +to see a great number of gorillas in any length of time unless he goes +to some one place and remains there as I have done. Even then he must +sometimes wait for days without a trace of one. Silence and patience +alone will enable him to see them; but when the gorilla sees him he at +once retires as soon as he discovers the nature of the thing before +him. He does not always flee in haste as many other animals do, but is +more deliberate and cool. He will retreat in good order, and as a rule +always starts in time if possible to escape without being observed. I +trust that I may be pardoned for not being able to believe that every +stranger who visits that country is attacked by a gorilla. + +In addition to those I have seen in a wild state, I have seen about ten +in captivity. Two of those were my own. They were good subjects for +study, and I made the best use of them for the time I had them. + +I accomplished one thing while in the jungle, for which I feel a just +sense of pride, and that was making a gorilla take a portrait of +himself. This will interest the amateur in the art of snapshots, and I +shall relate it. + +I selected a place in the forest where I found some tracks of the +animal along the edge of a dense thicket of _batuna_. Under cover of +the foliage I set up two pairs of stakes which were crossed at the +tops, and to them was lashed a short pole forming something like a +sawbuck. To this was fastened the camera, to which had been attached a +trigger made of bamboo splits. One end of a string was fastened to the +trigger, and the other end carried under a yoke to a distance of eight +feet from the lens. At this point was attached a fresh plantain stalk +and a nice bunch of the red fruit of the _batuna_. Upon this point the +camera was focussed, the trigger was set, and it was left to await the +gorilla. That afternoon I returned to find that something had taken the +bait, broken the string, sprung the trigger and snapped the camera. I +developed the plate, but could find no image of anything except the +leaves in front of it. I repeated the experiment with the same results, +but could not understand how anything could steal the bait and yet not +be shown in the picture. The third time I did this I was gratified +to find the image of a gorilla, and also to discover the cause why +the others had not succeeded. The deep shadows of the forest make it +difficult to take a photograph without giving it a time exposure, and +when the sun is under a cloud or on the wrong side of an object it is +quite impossible. The leaves that were shown in the first two plates +were only those which were most exposed to the light, and all the lower +part of the picture was without detail. In the third trial it could be +seen that the sun was shining at the instant of exposure. A part of the +body of the gorilla was in the light, but most of it was in the shadow +of the leaves above it. The left side of the head and face were quite +distinct, also the left shoulder and arm. The hand and bait could not +have been distinguished except by their context. The right side of the +head, arm, and most of the body were lost. The picture showed that he +had taken the bait with his left hand, and that he was in a crouching +posture at the moment. While the photograph was very poor as a work of +art, it was full of interest as an experiment. + +Although it did not result in getting a good picture, I do not regard +the effort as a failure. It shows at least that such a thing is +possible, and by careful efforts often repeated it could be made a +means of obtaining some novel pictures. A little ingenuity would widen +the scope of this device, and make it possible to photograph birds, +elephants, and everything else in the forest. When I return to that +place on a like journey, I shall carry the scheme into better effect. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +OTHER APES + + +In the various records that constitute the history of these apes are +found many novel and incoherent tales, but all of them appear to rest +upon some basis of truth. In order to arrive at some more definite +knowledge concerning them, we may review the data at our command. +The first record in the annals of the world that alludes to these +man-like apes, is that of Hanno, who made a voyage from Carthage to +the west coast of Africa, nearly 500 years before the Christian era. +He described an ape which was found in the locality about Sierra +Leone. It is singular that the description which he gave of those apes +should coincide so fully with those known of the present day, but to +my mind it is quite certain that the ape of which he gives an account +was neither a gorilla nor chimpanzee, nor is there anything to show +that either of these ever occupied that part of the world, or that any +similar type has done so. It is clear from the evidence that the ape +described by him was not an anthropoid, but was the large, dog-faced +monkey technically called _cynocephalus_. These animals are found all +along the north coast of the Gulf of Guinea, but there is not a trace +of any true ape along it north of Cameroon River, which empties into +the sea about 4 deg. north of the equator. Here begins the first trace of +the chimpanzee. In passing along the windward coast, casual reports are +current to the effect that gorillas and chimpanzees occupy the interior +north of there; but when these reports are sifted down to solid facts, +it always turns out to be a big baboon or monkey upon which the story +rests. Its likeness to man as described by Hanno was doubtless the work +of fancy, and the name _troglodytes_ which he gave to it shows that he +knew but little of its habits, or cared but little for the exactness of +his statements. + +The account given by Henry Battel, in 1590, contains a thread of truth +woven into a web of fantasy. He must have heard the stories he relates, +or seen the specimens along the coast north of the Congo, and there are +certain facts which point to this conclusion. The name _pongo_ which +he gave to one of them belongs to the Fiot tongue, which is spoken by +the native tribes around Loango. Those people apply the name to the +gorilla, and is commonly understood to be synonymous with the name +_njina_, used by the tribes north of there, and always applied to the +gorilla. To me, however, it appears to coincide with the name _ntyii_ +as used by the Esyira people for another ape which is described in the +chapter devoted to gorillas. It was from Loango that Dr. Falkenstein +secured an ape under that name in 1876. It is singular that Baron +Wurmb, in 1780, makes use of this same name _pongo_ for an orang. I +have not been able to learn where he acquired this name, but it appears +to be a native Fiot name, and the history of their language is fairly +well known for more than 400 years. The other name "Enjocko," given by +Battel to the other ape, is beyond a doubt a corruption of the native +name _ntyigo_ (ntcheego), and this name belongs north of the Congo +from Mayumba to Gaboon. He may have inferred that these apes occupied +Angola, but there is not a vestige of proof that any ape exists in that +part of Africa. Even the native tribes of that part have no indigenous +name for either one of these apes. Other parts of his account are +erroneous, and while he may have believed that those apes "go in bodies +to kill many natives that travel in the wood," and the natives may have +told him such a thing, the apes do not practise such a habit. With all +their sagacity they have no idea of the unity of action. If a band of +them were attacked, they would no doubt act together in their defence, +but it is not to be believed that they ever preconcert any plan of +attack. Neither do these apes ever assault elephants. He is one animal +they hold in mortal dread. I have incidentally mentioned elsewhere +the conduct of my two kulus on board the ship when they saw a young +elephant. Chico, the big ape that has also been mentioned, was often +vicious and stubborn. Whenever he refused to obey his keeper or became +violent, an elephant was brought in sight of his cage. On seeing it he +became as docile as a lamb, and showed every sign of the most intense +fear. Mr. Bailey himself told me of the dread both of his apes had for +an elephant. Battel was also wrong in the mode he described of the +mother carrying its young, and the apes using sticks or clubs. + +The ape known as "Mafuka," which was exhibited in Dresden in 1875, was +also brought from the Loango coast, and it is possible that this is the +ape to which the native name _pongo_ really belonged. This specimen in +many respects conforms to the description of the _ntyii_ given, but the +idea suggested by certain writers that "Mafuka" was a cross between +the gorilla and chimpanzee is not, to my mind, a tenable supposition. +It would be difficult to believe that two apes of different species +in a wild state would cross, but to believe that two that belonged to +different genera would do so is even more illogical. + +I may state here, however, again that some of the Esyira people advance +such a theory concerning the _ntyii_, but the belief is not general, +and those best skilled in woodcraft regard them as distinct species. + +To quote, in pidjin English, the exact version of their relationship as +it was given to me by my interpreter while in that country, may be of +interest to the reader. I may remark, by way of explaining the nature +of pidjin English, that it is a literal translation of the native mode +of thought into English words. The statement was: + +"_Ntyii_ be one: _njina_ be one: all two be one, one. _Nytii_ 'e one +mudder: _jnina_ 'e one mudder: all two 'e one, one. _Nytii_ 'e one +fader: _njina_ all same 'e one fader, 'e one. 'E all two one fader." By +which the native means to say that the _nytii_ has one mother and the +_njina_ has one mother, so that the two have two mothers, but both have +one father, therefore they are half-brothers. + +The other version given in denial of this statement was as follows: + +"_Nytii_ 'e one mudder: _njina_ 'e one mudder. 'E one, one. _Nytii_ 'e +one fader: _njina_ 'e one fader. 'E be one, one. All two 'e one, one. +_Nytii_ 'im mudder, _njina_ 'im mudder. 'E brudder. _Nytii_ 'im fader, +_njina_ 'im fader 'e brudder. All two 'e one, one." + +The translation of this elegant speech is, that the _nytii_ has a +mother, and the _njina_ has a mother which are not the same but +sisters. The _nytii_ has a father, and the _njina_ has a father which +are not the same, but are brothers, and therefore the two apes are only +cousins, which in the native esteem is a remote degree of kinship. + +The ape described by Lopez certainly belonged to the territory north +of the Congo, which coast he explored, and gave his name to a cape +about forty miles south of the equator, and it still bears the name +Cape Lopez. At that time, however, it is probable that most of the +low country now occupied by these apes was covered with water; that +the lakes of that region were then all embraced in one great estuary, +reaching from Fernan Vaz to Nazareth Bay, and extending eastward to +the Foot hills below Lamberene. There is abundant evidence to show that +such a state has once existed there, but it is not probable that these +apes have ever changed their latitude. + +The name "soko" appears to be a local name for the ordinary type of +chimpanzee found throughout the whole range of their domain, and known +in other parts by other names. + +In Malimbu the name "kulu" appears to apply to the same species, while +in the south-western part of their habitat that name, coupled with +the verb "kamba," is confined strictly to the other type. Along the +northern borders of the district to which that species belongs, but +where he is very seldom found and little known to the natives, he is +called Mkami tribe, "kanga ntyigo," to distinguish him from the common +variety to which the latter name only is applied. + +The etymology of the name _kanga_ as applied to this ape is rather +obscure. In common use it is a verb with the normal meaning to "parch" +or "fry," and hence the secondary meaning to "prepare." Since this +ape is said to be of a higher order of the race, the term is used to +signify that he is "better prepared" than the other. That is to say, he +is prepared to think and talk in a better manner. + +Another history of this word appears to be more probable. The ape to +which the name is applied lives between the Mkami country and the +Congo, and the name is possibly a perversion of kongo, and implies +the kind of _ntyigo_ that lives towards the great river of that name. +The etymology of African names is always difficult because there is +no record of them, but many of them can be traced out with great +precision, and some of them are unique. + +The name M'Bouve, as given by Du Chaillu, I have not been able to +identify. In one part of the country I was told that the word meant +the "chief" or head of a family. In another part it was said to mean +something like an advocate or champion, and was only applied to one +ape in a family group. The Rev. A. C. Goode, a zealous missionary who +recently died near Batanga, was stationed for twelve years at Gaboon. +During that time he travelled all through the Ogowe and Gaboon valleys. +He was familiar with the languages of that part, and he explained the +word in about the same way. + +Whatever may be said concerning the veracity of Paul Du Chaillu, there +is one thing that must be said to his credit. He gave to the world +more knowledge of these apes than all other men put together had ever +done before, and while he may have given a touch of colour to many +incidents, and related some native yarns, he told a vast amount of +valuable truth, and I can forgive him for anything which he may have +misstated, except one. That is starting that story about gorillas +chewing up gun-barrels. It has been a staple yarn in stock ever since, +and the instant you ask a native any question about the habits of a +gorilla he begins with this. + +In view of the fact that I have made careful and methodic efforts to +determine the exact boundary of the habitat and the real habits of +these two apes, I feel at liberty to speak with an air of authority. +I have acquired my knowledge on the subject by going to their own +country and living in their own jungle, and I have thus obtained their +secrets from first hands. With due respect to those who write books +and speak freely upon subjects of which they know but little, I beg +leave to suggest that if the authors had gone into the jungle and +lived among those animals instead of consulting others who know less +than themselves about it, many of them would have written in a very +different strain. I do not mean this as a rebuke to any one, but seeing +the same old stories repeated year after year, and knowing that there +is no truth in them, I feel it incumbent as a duty to challenge them. + +I believe that in the future it will be shown that there are two types +of gorilla as distinct from each other as the two chimpanzees now +known. This second variety of gorilla will be found between the third +and fifth parallels south and east of the delta district, but west +of the Congo. I believe it was represented in the ape "Mafuka." My +researches among the apes have been confined chiefly to the two kinds +heretofore described, but I have seen and studied in a superficial +way the orang and the gibbon. I am not prepared as yet to discuss the +habits of those two apes, but as they form a part of the group of +anthropoids we cannot dismiss them without honourable mention. + +The orang-outan, as he is called in his own country, is known to +zoology by the first of these terms alone. He is a native of Borneo and +Sumatra, and opinions differ as to whether there are two species or +only one. + +The general plan of the skeleton of the orang is very much the same as +in the other apes. The chief points of difference are that it has one +bone more in the wrist and one joint less in the spinal column than is +found in man. He has thirteen pairs of ribs, which appear to be more +constant in their number than in man. His arms are longer and his legs +shorter in proportion to his body than the other two apes. The type of +the skull is peculiar, and combines to a certain extent more human-like +form in one part with a more beast-like form in another. The usual +height of an adult male is about fifty-one inches. + +I have never had an opportunity of studying this ape in a wild state, +and have only had access to four of them in captivity, all of which +were young and most of them inferior specimens. He is the most obtuse +or stupid of the four great apes. And were it not for his skeleton +alone he would be assigned a place below the gibbon, for in point of +speech and mental calibre he is far inferior. The best authorities +perhaps upon the habits of this ape in a wild state are Messrs. W. T. +Horniday and R. A. Wallace. + +The first and last in order of the anthropoid apes is the gibbon; he +is much smaller in size, greater in variety, and more active than +any other of the group. His habitat is in the south-east of Asia; its +outline is vaguely defined, but it includes the Malayan Peninsula and +many of the contiguous islands east and south of it. + +The skeleton of the gibbon is the most delicate and graceful in build +of all the apes, and in this respect is as far superior to man as +man is to the gorilla, except for the long arms and digits. He is +the only one of the four that can walk in an erect position, but in +doing this the gibbon is awkward, and often uses his arms to balance +himself, sometimes by touching his hands to the ground, or at other +times raising them above his head or extending them on either side. +The length of them is such that he can touch the fingers to the ground +while the body is nearly if not quite erect. In the spinal column he +has two and sometimes three sections more than man. His digits are very +much longer, but his legs are nearly the same length in proportion to +his body as those of man. He has fourteen pairs of ribs. + +The gibbon is the most active, if not the most intelligent, of all +apes. He is more arboreal in habit than any other. Many wonderful +stories are told of his agility in climbing and leaping from limb to +limb. One authentic report credits one of these apes with leaping +a distance of forty-two feet from the limb of one tree to that of +another. Perhaps a better term is to call it swinging rather than +leaping, as these flights are performed by the arms. Another account +is, that one swinging by one hand propelled himself a horizontal +distance of eighteen feet through the air, seizing a bird in flight, +and alighting safely upon another limb with his prey in hand. + +There are several of this ape known, the largest of which is about +three feet high, but the usual height is not more than thirty inches. +The voice of one species is remarkable for its strength, scope and +quality above all other apes. Most of the members of this genus are +endowed with better vocal qualities than other animals. This ends +the list of the man-like apes, and next in order after them come the +monkeys, but we will deal with that subject more at length at some +future time. + +The descent, as we have elsewhere observed, from the highest ape to the +lowest monkey presents one unbroken scale of imbricating planes; and we +have seen in what degree man is related to the higher ape. From whence +we may discern in what degree his physical nature is the same as that +of all the order to which he belongs. No matter in what respect he may +differ in his mental and moral nature, his likeness to them should at +least restrain his pride, evoke his sympathy, and share the bounty of +his benevolence. Let man realise to its full extent that he is one in +nature with the rest, and they will receive the benign influence of his +dignity without impairing it, while he will elevate himself by having +given it. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +THE TREATMENT OF APES IN CAPTIVITY + + +In conclusion, I deem it in order to offer a few remarks with regard +to the causes of death among these apes, and to the proper treatment +of the animals in captivity. We know so little and assume so much +concerning them that we often violate the very laws under which they +live. + +We have already noticed the fact that the gorilla is confined by +nature to a low, humid region, reeking with miasma and the effluvia of +decaying vegetation. The atmosphere in which he thrives is one in which +human life can hardly exist. We know in part why man cannot live in +such an atmosphere and under such conditions, but we cannot say with +certainty why the ape does do so. It would seem that the very element +that is fatal to the life of man gives strength and vitality to the +gorilla. + +We know that all forms of animal life are not affected in the same way +by the same things, and while it may be said in round numbers that +whatever is good for man is good for apes also, it is not a fact. + +The human race is the most widely distributed of any genus of mammals +and, as a race, can undergo the greatest extremes of change in climate, +food and other conditions of any other animal. His migratory habits, +both inherent and acquired, have fitted him for a life of vicissitudes, +and such a life inures him as an individual to all extremes. On the +other hand, the gorilla, as a genus, is confined to a small habitat, +which is uniform in climate, products and topography; and having been +so long restricted to these conditions he is unfitted for like changes, +and when such are forced upon him the result must always be to his +injury. + +In certain parts of the American tropics there is found a rich, grey +moss growing in great profusion in certain localities and on certain +kinds of trees. It is not confined to any certain level, but thrives +best on the lowest elevations. Under favourable conditions it will +grow at altitudes far above the surrounding swamps. The character and +quantity, however, are measured by the altitude at which it grows. It +is an aerial plant, and may be detached from the boughs of one tree +and transplanted upon those of another. It may be taken with safety +for a great distance so long as an atmosphere is supplied to it that +is suited to its nature; but when removed from its normal conditions +and placed in a purer air it begins to languish and soon dies. If it be +returned in time, however, to its former place or one of like character +it will revive and continue to grow. + +What element this plant extracts from the impure air is a matter of +doubt; but it cannot be carbonic acid gas which is the chief food of +plants, nor it cannot be any form of nitrogen; and it is well known +that the plant cannot long survive in a pure atmosphere. Whatever the +ingredient extracted may be, it is certain that it is one that is +deadly to human life, and one which other plants refuse. Moisture and +heat alone cannot account for it. + +We have another striking instance in the eucalyptus, which lives +upon the poison of the air around it. There are many other cases in +vegetable life, and while the animal is a higher organism than the +plant, there are certain laws of life that obtain in both kingdoms +which are the same in principle. + +Between the case of the gorilla and that of the plant there is some +analogy. It may not be the same element that sustains them both, but it +is possible that the very microbes which germinate disease and prove +fatal to man sustain the life of the ape in the prime of health. The +poison which destroys life in man preserves it in the ape. + +The chimpanzee is distributed over a much greater range, and is capable +of undergoing a much greater degree of change in food and temperature. +The history of these apes in captivity shows that the chimpanzee lives +much longer in that state and requires much less care. From my own +observation I assert that all of these apes can undergo a greater range +of temperature than they can of humidity. This appears to be one of +the essential things to the life of a gorilla, and one fatal mistake +made in treating him is furnishing him with a dry, warm atmosphere, +and depriving him of the poison contained in the malarious air in +which he spends his entire life. Both of these apes need humidity. The +chimpanzee will live longer than a gorilla in a dry air, but neither of +them can long survive it, and it would appear that a salt atmosphere is +best for the gorilla. + +I believe that one of these apes could be kept in good condition for +any length of time if he were supplied with a normal humidity in an +atmosphere laden with miasma and allowed to vary in temperature. A +constant degree of heat is not good for any animal, there is nowhere in +all the earth that nature sustains a uniform degree of it. We need not +go to either extreme, but a change is requisite to bring into play all +the organs of the body. + +The theory of their treatment which I would advance is to build them +a house entirely apart from that of any other animal. It should be +18 or 20 feet wide by 35 or 40 long, and at least 15 feet high. It +should have no floor except earth, and that should be of sandy loam or +vegetable mould. In one end of this building there should be a pool of +water 12 or 15 feet in diameter, and embedded in the mould under the +water should be a steam coil to regulate the temperature as might be +desired. In this pool should be grown a dense crop of water plants such +as are found in the marshes of the country in which the gorilla lives. +This pool should not be cleaned out or the water changed, but the +plants should be allowed to grow and decay in a natural way. Neither +the pool nor the house should be kept at a uniform heat, but allowed to +vary from 60 to 90 degrees. + +In addition to the things mentioned, the place should be provided with +the means of giving it a spray of tepid water, which should be turned +on once or twice a day, and allowed to continue for at least an hour at +a time. The water for this purpose should be taken from the pool, but +should never be warmer than the usual temperature of tropical rain. The +animal should not be required to take a bath in this way, but should be +left to his own choice about it. + +The house should be separated by a thin partition that could be removed +at will, and the other end of the building from the pool should be +occupied by a strong tree, either dead or alive, to afford the inmates +proper exercise. The rule that visitors or strangers should not annoy +or tease them should be enforced without respect to person, time, or +rank. No visitor should be allowed on any terms to give them any kind +of food. The reasons for these precautions are obvious to any one +familiar with the keeping of animals, but in the case of a gorilla +their observance cannot be waived with impunity. + +The south side of the house should be of glass, and at least half +of the top should be of the same. These parts should be provided +with heavy canvas curtains, to be drawn over them so as to adjust or +regulate the sunlight. In summer-time the building should be kept +quite open so as to admit air and rain. The ape does not need to +be pampered: on the contrary, he should be permitted to rough it. +Half of the gorillas that have ever been in captivity have died from +over-nursing. By nature they are strong and robust if the proper +conditions are supplied, but when these are changed he becomes a frail +and tender creature. They should not be restricted to a vegetable +diet nor limited to a few articles of food of any kind, but should +be allowed to select such things as they prefer to eat. I have grave +doubts as to the wisdom of limiting the quantity. One mistake is often +committed in the treatment of animals, and that is to continue the +same diet at all times and limit that to one or two items. It may be +observed that the higher the form of organism is the more diverse the +taste becomes, and while very hardy animals or those of low forms may +be restricted to one staple kind of food, the higher forms demand a +change. + +One thing above all others that I would inhibit is the use of straw of +any kind in their cage for beds or any other purpose. If it be desired +to furnish them with such a comfort, nothing should ever be used but +dead leaves if they can be supplied. In their absence a canvas hammock +or wire matting should be used. There are certain kinds of dust given +off by the dry straw of all cereal plants. This is deleterious to the +health of man, but vastly more so to these apes. It is taken into the +lungs, and through them act upon other parts of the body by suppressing +the circulation and respiration. No matter how clean the straw may be, +the effect will be the same in the end. Hay is better than straw, but +even this should not be used. + +Another thing which is necessary is to entertain or amuse them in some +way, otherwise they become despondent and gloomy. It is believed by +those who are familiar with these apes that loneliness or solitude is a +fruitful cause of death. This is especially so with the gorilla. I have +a photograph of one that was kept by a trader on the coast of Africa +for nearly three years. She was devoted to him, and was never content +when not in his company. His business required him to make a journey +of a few days to the interior. He left the gorilla at his place on the +coast where she had lived up to this time. The day after he departed +she became morose and fretful, and within a few days died without any +apparent cause except pining. This was observed by natives and by white +traders, and her death has always been ascribed to the cause assigned. +She was well known to all the traders on that part of the coast, and +has been regarded as one of the best specimens known. She is the only +one that I have ever known to become devoted to a human being. + +Another important fact that is little known but very singular is, that +tobacco smoke is absolutely fatal to a gorilla. Every native hunter +that I met in Africa testifies that this simple thing will kill any +gorilla in the forest if he is subjected to the fumes for a short time. +I have reason to believe that it is true. It may not prove fatal in +every instance, but it will in many. The chimpanzee is not so much +affected by it, although he dislikes it, but the gorilla detests it and +shows at all times his strong aversion to it. I have no doubt that this +is one of the reasons that these apes always die on board the ships by +which they are brought from Africa. + +Both of these apes are possessed, in a degree, of savage and resentful +instincts. But these are much stronger in the gorilla than in the +chimpanzee. He therefore requires firm and consistent treatment. +This can be used without being severe or cruel, but the intellect +of the gorilla must not be underrated. He studies the motives and +intentions of man with a keen perception, and is seldom mistaken in +his interpretation of them. He often manifests a violent dislike for +certain persons, and when such is discovered to be the case the object +of his dislike should not be permitted in his presence, for the result +is to enrage the ape and excite his nervous nature. When they become +sullen or obstinate they should not be coaxed or indulged, nor yet +used with harshness. They should either be left alone for the time or +diverted by a change of treatment. + +At this point I submit the foregoing to the world as the sum of my +labours in this special field of research up to this time. I regret +that I have been compelled to deny much that has been said, but I +make no apology for having done so. In this work I have sought to +place these apes before the reader as I have seen them in their native +forest. I have not clothed them in fine raiment or invested them in +glamour, but I trust that this contribution may be found worthy of the +respect of all men who love Nature and respect fidelity. + +I have the vanity to believe that the methods of study which I have +employed will be made the means of farther research by more able +students than the writer. + + + _Printed by_ BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO. + _London and Edinburgh_ + + + + +Transcriber's Notes: + + +Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant +preference was found in this book; otherwise they were not changed. + +Simple typographical errors were corrected. + +Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained. + +Page 227: "=Y=" indicates a symbol. + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Gorillas & Chimpanzees, by R. L. 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