Having premised this, I have taken into considerationCaspar Bartholine SeniorhisOpusculumde Pygmæis, andJo. Talentonius's Dissertation about them: and upon examination do find, that neither the Humane Authorities, nor Divine that they alledge, do any ways prove, as they pretend, the Being ofMen Pygmies. St.Austin, who is likewise quoted on their side, is so far from favouring this Opinion, that he doubts whether any such Creatures exist, and if they do, concludes them to beApesorMonkeys; and censures thoseIndian Historiansfor imposing such Beasts upon us, as distinct Races ofMen.Julius Cæsar Scaliger, andIsaac Casaubon, andAdrian Spigeliusutterly deny the Being ofPygmies, and look upon them as a Figment only of the Ancients, because such little Men as they describe them to be, are no where to be met with in all the World. The LearnedBochartustho' he esteems theGeranomachiato be a Fable, and slights it, yet thinks that what might give the occasion to the Story of thePygmies, might be theNubæorNobæ; asIsaac Vossiusconjectures that it was thoseDwarfsbeyond the Fountains of theNile, thatDappercalls theMimos, and tells us, they killElephantsfor to make a Traffick with their Teeth. ButJob Ludolphusalters the Scene, and instead ofCranes, substitutes hisCondors, who do not fight thePygmies, but fly away with them, and then devour them.
Now all these Conjectures do no ways account forHomer's PygmiesandCranes, they are too much forced and strain'd. Truth is always easie and plain. In our present Case therefore I think theOrang-Outang, orwild Man, may exactly supply the place of thePygmies, and without any violence or injury to the Story, sufficiently account for the whole History of thePygmies, but what is most apparently fabulous; for what has been the greatest difficulty to be solved or satisfied, was their beingMen; for asGesnerremarks (as I have already quoted him)Sed veterum nullus aliter de Pygmæis scripsit, quàm Homunciones esse. And the Moderns too, being byassed and misguided by this Notion, have either wholly denied them, or contented themselves in offering their Conjectures what might give the first rise to the inventing this Fable. And tho'Albertus, as I find him frequently quoted, thought that thePygmiesmight be only a sort ofApes, and he is placed in the Head of those that espoused this Opinion, yet he spoils all, by his way of reasoning, and by making them speak; which was more than he needed to do.
I cannot see therefore any thing that will so fairly solve this doubt, that will reconcile all, that will so easily and plainly make out this Story, as by making theOrang-Outangto be thePygmieof the Ancients; for 'tis the same Name that Antiquity gave them. ForHerodotus's [Greek: andres agrioi], what can they be else, thanHomines Sylvestres, orwild Men? as they are now called. AndHomer's [Greek: andres pygmaioi], are no more an Humane Kind, or Men, thenHerodotus's [Greek: andres agrioi], which he makes to be [Greek: theria], orwild Beasts: And the [Greek: andres mikroi] or [Greek: melanes] (as they are often called) were just the same. Because this sort ofApeshad so great a resemblance to Men, more than otherApesorMonkeys; and they going naturally erect, and being designed by Nature to go so, (as I have shewn in theAnatomy) the Ancients had a very plausible ground for giving them this denomination of [Greek: andres] or [Greek: anthropoi], but commonly they added an Epithet; as [Greek: agrioi, mikroi, pygmaioi, melanes], or some such like. Now the AncientGreekandIndian Historians, tho' they might know thesePygmiesto be onlyApeslikeMen, and not to be realMen, yet being so extremely addicted toMythology, or making Fables, and finding this so fit a Subject to engraft upon, and invent Stories about, they have not been wanting in furnishing us with a great many very Romantick ones on this occasion. And the Moderns being imposed upon by them, and misguided by the Name of [Greek: andres] or [Greek: anthropoi], as if thereby must be always understood anHumane Kind, orreal Men, they have altogether mistaken the Truth of the Story, and have either wholly denied it, or rendered it as improbable by their own Conjectures.
This difficulty therefore of their being calledMen, I think, may fairly enough be accounted by what I have said. But it may be objected that theOrang-Outang, or thesewildorsavage Menare not [Greek: pygmaioi], orTrispithami, that is, but two Foot and a quarter high, because by some Relations that have been given, it appears they have been observed to be of a higher stature, and as tall as ordinary Men. Now tho' this may be allowed as to thesewild Menthat are bred in other places; and probably enough like wise, there are such in some Parts of the Continent ofAfrica; yet 'tis sufficient to our business if there are any there, that will come within our Dimensions; for our Scene lies inAfrica; whereStraboobserves, that generally the Beasts are of a less size than ordinary; and this he thinks might give rise to the Story of thePygmies. For, saith he[A] [Greek: Ta de boskaemata autois esti mikra, probata kai aiges, kai kynes mikroi, tracheis de kai machimoi (oikountes mikroi ontes) tacha de kai tous pygmaious apo tes touton mikrophyias epenoaesan, kai aneplasan.] i.e.That their Beasts are small, as their Sheep, Goats and Oxen, and their Dogs are small, but hairy and fierce: and it may be(saith he)from the [Greek: mikrophyia] or littleness of the stature of these Animals, they have invented and imposed on us thePygmies. And then adds,That no body fit to be believed ever saw them; because he fancied, as a great many others have done, that thesePygmiesmust bereal Men, and not a sort ofBrutes. Now since the otherBrutesin this Country are generally of a less size than in other Parts, why may not this sort ofApe, theOrang-Outang, orwild Man, be so likewise.Aristotlespeaking of thePygmies, saith, [Greek: genos mikron men kai autoi, kai oi hippoi.]That both they and the Horses there are but small. He does not saytheirHorses, for they were never mounted uponHorses, but only uponPartridges, GoatsandRams. And as theHorses, and otherBeastsare naturally less inAfricathan in other Parts, so likewise may theOrang-Outangbe. This that I dissected, which was brought fromAngola(as I have often mentioned) wanted something of the just stature of thePygmies; but it was young, and I am therefore uncertain to what tallness it might grow, when at full Age: And neitherTulpius, norGassendus, nor any that I have hitherto met with, have adjusted the full stature of thisAnimalthat is found in those parts from whence ours was brought: But 'tis most certain, that there are sorts ofApesthat are much less than thePygmiesare described to be. And, as otherBrutes, so theApe-kind, in different Climates, may be of different Dimensions; and because the otherBruteshere are generally small, why may nottheybe so likewise. Or if the difference should be but little, I see no great reason in this case, why we should be over-nice, or scrupulous.
[Footnote A:Strabo Geograph. lib. 17. p.m. 565.]
As to ourApe PygmiesorOrang-Outangfighting theCranes, this, I think, may be easily enough made out, by what I have already observed; for thiswild ManI dissected was Carnivorous, and it may be Omnivorous, at least as much asManis; for it would eat any thing that was brought to the Table. And if it was not their Hunger that drove them to it, their Wantonness, it may be, would make them apt enough to rob theCranesNests; and if they did so, no doubt but theCraneswould noise enough about it, and endeavour what they could to beat them off, which a Poet might easily make a Fight: Tho'Homeronly makes use of it as aSimile, in comparing the great Shouts of theTrojansto the Noise of theCranes, and the Silence of theGreeksto that of thePygmieswhen they are going to Engage, which is natural enough, and very just, and contains nothing, but what may easily be believed; tho' upon this account he is commonly exposed, and derided, as the Inventor of this Fable; and that there was nothing of Truth in it, but that 'twas wholly a Fiction of his own.
ThosePygmiesthatPaulus Jovius[A] describes, tho' they dwell at a great distance fromAfrica, and he calls themMen, yet are so likeApes, that I cannot think them any thing else. I will give you his own words:Ultra Lapones(saith he)in Regione inter Corum & Aquilonem perpetua oppressa CaliginePygmæosreperiri, aliqui eximiæ fidei testes retulerunt; qui postquam ad summum adoleverint, nostratis Pueri denum annorum Mensuram vix excedunt. Meticulosum genus hominum, & garritu Sermonem exprimens, adeo ut tam Simiæ propinqui, quam Statura ac sensibus ab justæ Proceritatis homine remoti videantur. Now there is this Advantage in ourHypothesis, it will take in all thePygmies, in any part of the World; or wherever they are to be met with, without supposing, as some have done, that 'twas theCranesthat forced them to quit their Quarters; and upon this account several Authors have described them in different places: For unless we suppose theCranesso kind to them, as to waft them over, how came we to find them often in Islands? But this is more than can be reasonably expected from so great Enemies.
[Footnote A:Paul. Jovij de Legatione Muschovitar. lib. p.m. 489.]
I shall conclude by observing to you, that this having been the Common Error of the Age, in believing thePygmiesto be a sort oflittle Men, and it having been handed down from so great Antiquity, what might contribute farther to the confirming of this Mistake, might be, the Imposture of the Navigators, who failing to Parts where theseApesare, they have embalmed their Bodies, and brought them home, and then made the People believe that they were theMenof those Countries from whence they came. ThisM.P. Venetusassures us to have been done; and 'tis not unlikely: For, saith he,[A]Abundat quoque Regio ipsa(sc. Basman in Java majori)diversis Simiis magnis & parvis, hominibus simillimis, hos capiunt Venatores & totos depilant, nisi quod, in barba & in loco secreto Pilos relinquunt, & occisos speciebus Aromaticis condiunt, & postea desiccant, venduntque Negociatoribus, qui per diversas Orbis Partes Corpora illa deferentes, homines persuadent Tales Homunciones in Maris Insulis reperiri. Joh. Jonston[B] relates the same thing, but without quoting the Author; and as he is very apt to do, commits a great mistake, in telling us,pro Homunculis marinis venditant.
[Footnote A:M. Pauli Veneti de Regionibus Oriental. lib. 3. cap. 15. p. m. 390.]
[Footnote B:Jo. Jonston. Hist. Nat. de Quadruped. p.m. 139.]
I shall only add, That the Servile Offices that these Creatures are observed to perform, might formerly, as it does to this very day, impose upon Mankind to believe, that they were of the sameSpecieswith themselves; but that only out of Sullenness or cunning, they think they will notspeak, for fear of being made Slaves.Philostratus[A] tells us, That theIndiansmake use of theApesin gathering the Pepper; and for this Reason they do defend and preserve them from theLions, who are very greedy of preying upon them: And altho' he calls themApes, yet he speaks of them asMen, and as if they were the Husbandmen of thePepper Trees, [Greek: kai ta dendra oi piperides, on georgoi pithekoi]. And he calls them the People ofApes; [Greek: ou legetai pithekon oikein demos en mychois tou orous].Dapper[B] tells us,That the Indians take theBariswhen young, and make them so tame, that they will do almost the work of a Slave; for they commonly go erect as Men do. They will beat Rice in a Mortar, carry Water in a Pitcher, &c. And Gassendus[C] in the Life ofPieresky, tells us, us,That they will play upon a Pipe or Cittern, or the like Musick, they will sweep the House, turn the Spit, beat in a Mortar, and do other Offices in a Family. AndAcosta, as I find him quoted byGarcilasso de la Vega[D] tells us of aMonkeyhe saw at the Governour's House atCartagena, 'whom they fent often to the Tavern for Wine, with Money in one hand, and a Bottle in the other; and that when he came to the Tavern, he would not deliver his Money, until he had received his Wine. If the Boys met with him by the way, or made a houting or noise after him, he would set down his Bottle, and throw Stones at them; and having cleared the way he would take up his Bottle, and hasten home, And tho' he loved Wine excessively, yet he would not dare to touch it, unless his Master gave him License.' A great many Instances of this Nature might be given that are very surprising. And in another place he tells us, That the Natives think that they can speak, but will not, for fear of being made to work. AndBontius[E] mentions that theJavanshad the same Opinion concerning theOrang-Outang,Loqui vero eos, easque Javani aiunt, sed non velle, ne ad labores cogerentur.
[Footnote A:Philostratus in vita Apollonij Tyanæi, lib. 3. cap. I. p. m. 110, & 111.]
[Footnote B:Dapper Description de l'Afrique, p.m. 249.]
[Footnote C:Gassendus in vita Pierskij, lib. 5. p.m. 169.]
[Footnote D:Garcilasso de la Vega Royal Commentaries of Peru, lib. 8. cap. 18. p. 1333.]
[Footnote E:Jac. Bontij Hist. Nat. & Med. lib. 5. cap. 32. p.m. 85.]
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[NOTE.—A few obvious errors in the quotations have been corrected, but for the most part they stand as in Tyson, who must, therefore, be held responsible for any inaccuracies which may exist.]