CHAPTER VIII.Description of an Ungka ape—His habits—Anecdotes of him—His death—Dissection.
Description of an Ungka ape—His habits—Anecdotes of him—His death—Dissection.
Objects of natural history are frequently brought in a great variety by the proas from the different islands of the Eastern Archipelago. Prepared birds of paradise, and living Loris, pink cockatoos, and occasionally the magnificent, Crowned or Dampier’s pigeons, as well as Rhinoceros birds, may be often purchased. An orang-utan was lately brought from Borneo to Singapore, by a commander of a vessel, who sold it for seventy-five dollars.
During a visit to Singapore, in 1830, I procured, through the kindness of E. Boustead, Esq., a male specimen of the Ungka ape, (Hylobates syndactyla.) The animal had been recentlybrought by a Malay lad, in a proa, from the Menangkabau country, in the interior of Sumatra. The Malays at Singapore always called the creature Ungka; but I observe, in the Linnean Transactions, it is called by Sir Stamford Raffles, Siamang, and the Ungka is therein described as a different animal; the same as that under the name of Onko, in the splendid work on the Mammalia, (vols. v. and vi.) by F. Cuvier. The natives, however, at Singapore denied this being the Siamang, at the same time stating that the Siamang resembled it in form, but differed in having the eyebrows and hair around the face of a white colour.
TheHylobates syndactylais described and figured also in Dr. Horsfield’s Zoology of Java, but the engraving does not give a correct idea of the animal, nor have I as yet seen one that does. Three beautiful drawings were taken for me, from the specimen I possessed, after its death, in different positions; and having preserved the skeleton in the skin, its general appearance was more natural than stuffed specimens usually are; they were executed by the able pencil of Charles Landseer, Esq.
On board the ship Sophia, during the passage to England, ample opportunities wereafforded me to study this singularly interesting little animal. Its measurement was as follows:—From the os calcis to the vertex of the head, two feet four inches; span of the arms, four feet; length of the arm, from the axilla to the termination of the fore-finger, one foot ten and a half inches; length of the leg, from the groin to the os calcis, eleven inches; length from the xiphoid or ensiform cartilage to the crest of the pubis, seven and a half inches.
The teeth are twelve in each jaw; four incisors, two canine, and six molares. In the upper jaw, the canine were placed widely apart from the last incisor, giving an appearance as if a tooth was deficient: this circumstance did not occur in the lower jaw. The teeth were in a very bad condition. In colour, the animal was of a beautiful jet black, being covered with coarse hair over the whole body. The face has no hair, except on the sides, as whiskers, and the hair stands forward from the forehead over the eyes: there is very little beard. The skin of the face is black; the arms are very long, the radius and ulna being of greater length than the os humeri: the hair on the arms runs in one direction, viz. downwards; that on the fore-arm, upwards; the hands are long and narrow,fingers long and tapering; thumb short, not reaching farther than the first joint of the fore-finger; the palms of the hands and soles of the feet are bare and black; the legs are short, in proportion to the arms and body; the feet are long, prehensile, and, when the animal is in a sitting posture, are turned inwards, and the toes are usually bent. The first and second toes are united (except at the last joint) by a membrane. From this circumstance, the animal has derived its specific name. He invariably walks in the erect posture, when on a level surface; and then the arms either hang down, enabling him sometimes to assist himself with his knuckles; or, what is more usual, he keeps his arms uplifted, in nearly an erect position, with the hands pendent, ready to seize a rope, and climb up on the approach of danger, or on the obtrusion of strangers. He walks rather quick in the erect posture, but with a waddling gait, and is soon run down if, whilst pursued, he has no opportunity of escaping by climbing.
On the foot are five toes, the great toe being placed like the thumb of the hand: the form of the foot is somewhat similar to that of the hand, having an equal prehensile power; the great toe has a capability of much extension outwards, which enlarges the surface of the footwhen the animal walks. The toes are short; the great toe is the longest. The eyes are close together, with the irides of a hazel colour; the upper eyelids have lashes, the lower have none. The nose is confluent with the face, except at the nostrils, which are a little elevated. The mouth large, ears small, resembling the human, except in being deficient in the pendent lobe. He has nails on the fingers and toes, and has hard tubercles on the tuberosities of the ischium, but is destitute of a tail or even the rudiment of one.
His food is various: he preferred vegetable diet, as rice, plantains, &c., and was ravenously fond of carrots, of which we had some quantity preserved on board. Although, when at dinner, he would behave well, not intruding his paw into our plates, having “acquired politeness,” as Jack would say, by being on board, yet, when the carrots appeared, all his decorum was lost, in his eager desire for them; and it required some exertion to keep him from attacking them “with tooth and paw,” unmindful whether we wished it or not, and against all the laws and regulations of the table. A piece of carrot would draw him from one end of the table to the other, over which he would walk, without disturbing a single article, although the ship was rolling at the time; so admirably can these animals balancethemselves. This is well seen when they play about the rigging of a ship at sea: often, when springing from rope to rope, have I expected to see him buffeting the waves, and as often did I find that all my fears were groundless.
He would drink tea, coffee, or chocolate, but neither wine nor spirits. Of animal food, he prefers fowl; but a lizard having been caught on board, it was placed before him, when he seized the reptile instantly in his paw, and greedily devoured it. He was also very fond of sweetmeats, such as jams, jellies, dates, &c.; and no child with the “sweetest tooth” ever evinced more delight after “bons bons” than did this little creature. Some manilla sweet cakes that were on board he was always eager to procure, and would not unfrequently enter the cabin in which they were kept, and endeavour to lift up the cover of the jar: he was not less fond of onions, although their acridity caused him to sneeze and loll out his tongue: when he took one, he used to put it into his mouth, and immediately eat it with great rapidity.
The first instance I observed of his attachment to liberty, was soon after he had been presented to me by Mr. Boustead. On entering the yard in which he was tied up, one morning, I wasnot well pleased at observing him busily engaged in removing his belt, to which the cord or chain was fixed, (which, as I afterwards understood, had been loosened on purpose,) at the same time whining, and uttering a peculiar squeaking noise. As soon as he had succeeded in procuring his liberty, he walked, in his usual erect posture, towards some Malays, who were standing near the place; and, after hugging the legs of several of the party, without, however, permitting them to take him in their arms, he went to a Malay lad, who seemed to be the object of his search; for, on meeting with him, he immediately climbed into his arms; and hugged him closely, having an expression, in both the look and manner, of gratification at being once again in the arms of him, who I now understood was his former master. When this lad sold the animal to Mr. Boustead, he was tied up in the courtyard of that gentleman’s house, and his screams to get loose used to be a great annoyance to residents in the vicinity. Several times he effected his escape, and would then make for the water-side, the Malay lad being usually on board the proa, in which he had arrived from the Sumatra. He was never re-taken until, having reached the water, he could proceed no farther. The day previousto sailing, I sent him on board. As the lad that originally brought him could not be found, a Malay servant to Mr. Boustead was deputed to take charge of him. The animal was a little troublesome at first, but afterwards became quiet in the boat. On arriving on board, he soon managed to make his escape, rewarding his conductor with a bite, as a parting remembrance, and ascended the rigging with such agility as to excite the astonishment and admiration of the crew. As the evening approached, the animal came down on the deck, and was readily secured. We found, however, in a day or two, that he was so docile when at liberty, and so very much irritated at being confined, that he was permitted to range about the deck or rigging. We sailed from Singapore for England with him, on the 18th of November 1830.
He usually, (on first coming on board,) after taking exercise about the rigging, retired to rest at sunset, on the maintop, coming on deck regularly at daylight. This continued until our arrival off the Cape, when experiencing a lower temperature, he expressed an eager desire to be taken to my arms, and to be permitted to pass the night in my cabin, for which he evinced such a decided partiality, that, on the return of warm weather, he would not retire tothe maintop, but seemed to have a determination to stay where he thought himself the most comfortable, and which I, at last, after much crying and solicitation from him, permitted.
He was not able to take up small objects with facility, on account of the disproportion of the size of the thumb to the fingers. The metacarpal bone of the thumb has the mobility of a first joint. The form of both the feet and hands gives a great prehensile power, fitted for the woods or forests, the naturalhabitatof these animals, where it must be almost an impossibility to capture an adult of the species alive.
Under the throat is a large black pouch, a continuation of the common integument, very thinly covered with hair, and not very visible when undistended. It has a corrugated appearance, extending from the under part of the chin to the throat, is attached as low down as the upper part of the sternum, and it is also attached above to the symphysis of the lower jaw. The use of this pouch has been a subject of much speculation: having the animal for some time with me, sleeping in the same apartment, I might be able to form some opinion on the subject. Its use is certainly not well known, though it is not improbable that it may be an appendage to the organ of voice. For often when irritated, I have observedhim inflate the pouch, uttering at the same time a hollow barking noise,[53]for the production of which the rushing of the air into the sac was evidently an adjunct. The inflation of the pouch was not, however, confined to anger; for when pleased he would purse the mouth, drive the air with an audible noise into the sac; when yawning, it was also inflated; and in all instances, (except when excited by anger,) he would gradually empty the sac, as if he derived a pleasure from it. When the sac has been distended, I have often pressed on it, and forced the air contained within it into the mouth, the animal not evincing at the time any sign of its being an annoyance to him. When uttering the barking noise, the pouch is not inflated to the same extent as when he yawns. It has been stated in an American publication, that the use of the air sac is for a swimming bladder. It may be said in refutation, (if the assertion is not too absurd to refute,) that Ungka never evinced any partiality for swimming, although provided with such an apparatus; but one day, thinking that a washingwould be beneficial to the beast’s coat, I placed him in a large tub of water: he was much frightened at his situation, and soon began to display a marked hydrophobic symptom, but not the least attempt was made to inflate the pouch, although he was frequently submersed. This animal is destitute of cheek pouches as a reservoir for food.
When sleeping, he lies along, either on the side or back, resting the head on the hands, and is always desirous of retiring to rest at sunset; it was at this time he would approach me uncalled for, making a peculiar begging, chirping noise; an indication that he wished to be taken into the cabin to be put to bed. Before I admitted him into my cabin, after having firmly stood against his piteous beseeching tones and cries, he would go up the rigging and take up his reposing place for the night in the maintop. He would often (I suppose from his approximation to civilization) indulge in bed some time after sunrise, and frequently when I awoke I have seen him lying on his back, his long arms stretched out, and, with eyes open, appearing as if buried in deep reflection. At sunset, when he was desirous of retiring to rest, he would approach his friends, uttering his peculiar chirping note, a beseechingsound, begging to be taken into their arms; his request once acceded to, he was as adhesive as Sinbad’s old man of the sea; any attempt to remove him being followed by violent screams. He could not endure disappointment, and, like the human species, was always better pleased when he had his own way; when refused or disappointed at anything, he would display the freaks of temper of a spoiled child; lie on the deck, roll about, throw his arms and legs in various attitudes and directions, dash every thing aside that might be within his reach, walk hurriedly, repeat the same scene over and over again, and utter the guttural notes ofra, ra; the employment of coercive measures during the paroxysms reduced him in a short period to a system of obedience, and the violence of his temper by such means became in some degree checked. Often has he reminded me of that pest to society, a spoiled child, who may justly be defined as papa’s pride, mamma’s darling, the visitor’s terror, and an annoyance to all the living animals, men and maid-servants, dogs, cats, &c. in the house that it might be inhabiting.
When he came, at sunset, to be taken into my arms, and was refused, he would fall into a paroxysm of rage; but finding that unsuccessful,and unattended to, he would mount the rigging, and hanging over that part of the deck on which I was walking, would suddenly drop himself into my arms.[54]
The sounds he uttered were various: when pleased at a recognition of his friends, he would utter a peculiar squeaking, chirping note; when irritated, a hollow, barking noise was produced; but when very angry, and frightened, or when chastised, the loud guttural sounds ofra, ra, ra, invariably followed. When I approached him for the first time in the morning, he greeted me with his chirping notes, advancing his face at the same time, as if intended for the purpose of salutation; but I did not feel desirous of trying the experiment, as I knew these animals were not in the habit of kissing, and I well knew they were in the habit of biting.
His look was grave, and manner mild, and he was deficient in those mischievous tricks so peculiar to the monkey tribe in general. In only one instance did I experience any mischief from him, and that was in his meddling with my inkstand:he seemed to have an extraordinary penchant for the black fluid—would drink the ink, (by placing his finger in the inkstand, and then sucking it,) and suck the pens, whenever an opportunity offered of gratifying this morbid propensity: his black coat did not suffer from his dabbling in ink, unlike many of the human species, who suffer both in constitution and apparel from meddling too much with it.
There was a degree of intelligence in the animal, beyond what is usually termed common instinct. These little miniatures of men,[55](as they are satirically termed,) are said to possess more sagacity than other animals, and to be a close connecting link between the “powerful lord of the creation,” and creatures of an inferiorgenus. If it be true, as I have heard asserted, that intelligence is written in legible characters on the os frontis of the monkey tribe, I beg to add, that mischief and cunning also beam in their eye.
One instance of a very close approximation to, if it may not be considered absolutely an exercise of, the reasoning faculty, occurred in this animal. Once or twice I lectured him on taking away my soap continually from the washing-place, which he would remove, for his amusement, from that place, and leave it about the cabin. One morning I was writing, the ape being present in the cabin, when casting my eyes towards him, I saw the little fellow taking the soap. I watched him, without his perceiving that I did so; and he occasionally would cast a furtive glance towards the place where I sat. I pretended to write; he seeing me busily occupied, took the soap, and moved away with it in his paw. When he had walked half the length of the cabin, I spoke quietly, without frightening him. The instant he found I saw him, he walked back again, and deposited the soap nearly in the same place from whence he had taken it. There was certainly something more than instinct in that action: he evidently betrayed a consciousness of havingdone wrong, both by his first and last actions;—and what is reason if that is not an exercise of it?
When he walks in the erect posture, he turns the leg and foot outwards, which occasions him to have a waddling gait and to seem bow-legged. He would pace the deck, being held by his long arm; and then had a resemblance to a child just learning to step. The limbs, from their muscular and strong prehensile power, render the animal a fit inhabitant for the forest; enabling him to spring from tree to tree with an agility that we have frequently witnessed him display about the rigging of the ship: he would pass down the backstays, sometimes hanging by his hands, at others walking down them in the erect posture, like a rope-dancer, balancing himself by his long arms; or he would spring from one rope at a great distance to another, or would drop from one above to another below.
Being aware of his inability to escape pursuit, when running on a level surface, his first object, when about to make an attack, was to secure a rope, and swing towards the object he was desirous of attacking; if defeated, he eluded pursuit by climbing out of reach.
He has an awkward manner of drinking, by which the liquid is much wasted: he first applieshis lips to the liquid, throwing the head up, which in some degree may be attributed to the prominency of the lower jaw: and if the vessel in which the liquid is contained should be shallow, he dips the paw into it, and holding it over the mouth, lets the liquid drop in. I never observed him lap with the tongue when drinking; but when tea or coffee was given to him, the lingual organ was carefully protruded for the purpose of ascertaining its temperature. This display of caution was not confined to this species of ape, as I know of several others which will do the same, when hot tea or coffee is given to them; shaking their sapient head violently, if they are heated by the liquid; but still, undeterred, will wait patiently until the hot liquid becomes sufficiently cool for bibulary purposes.
He soon knew the name of Ungka, which had been given to him, and would readily come to those to whom he was attached when called by that name. His mildness of disposition and playfulness of manner made him a universal favourite with all on board.
He was playful, but preferred children to adults. He became particularly attached to a little Papuan child (Elau, a native of Erromanga, one of the New Hebrides group,) who was onboard, and whom it is not improbable he may have in some degree considered as having an affinity to his species. They were often seen sitting near the capstan, the animal with his long arm round her neck, lovingly eating biscuit together.
She would lead him about by his long arms, like an elder leading a younger child: and it was the height of the grotesque to witness him running round the capstan, pursued by, or pursuing, the child. He would waddle along, in the erect posture, at a rapid pace, sometimes aiding himself by his knuckles; but when fatigued, he would spring aside, seize hold of the first rope he came to, and, ascending a short distance, regard himself as safe from pursuit.
In a playful manner he would roll on deck with the child, as if in a mock combat, pushing with his feet, (in which action he possessed great muscular power,) entwining his long arms around her, and pretending to bite; or, seizing a rope, he would swing towards her, and, when efforts were made to seize him, would elude the grasp by swinging away; or he would, by way of changing the plan of attack, drop suddenly on her from the ropes aloft, and then engage in various playful antics. He would play in a similar manner with adults; but finding them usually too strong and rough for him, he preferredchildren, giving up his games with them, if any adults joined in the sports at the same time.
If, however, an attempt was made by the child to play with him, when he had no inclination, or after he had sustained some disappointment, he usually made a slight impression with his teeth on her arm, just sufficient to act as a warning, or a sharp hint, that no liberties were to be taken with his person; or, as the child would say, “Ungka no like play now.” Not unfrequently, a string being tied to his leg, the child would amuse herself by dragging the patient animal about the deck: this he would good-naturedly bear for some time, thinking, perhaps, it amused his little playmate; but finding it last longer than he expected, he became tired of that fun, in which he had no share, except in being the sufferer; he would then make endeavours to disengage himself and retire. If he found his efforts fruitless, he would quietly walk up to the child, make an impression with his teeth, in a ratio of hardness according to his treatment: that hint soon terminated the sport, and procured him his liberty.
There were also on board the ship several small monkeys, with whom Ungka was desirous of forming interesting conversaziones, to introducea social character among the race, wile away the tedious hours, which pass but tardily in a ship, and dissipate the monotony of the voyage: to this the little monkeys would not accede; they treated him as an outcast, and all cordially united to repel the approaches of the “little man in black,” by chattering, and various other hostile movements peculiar to them.
Ungka, thus repelled in his kind endeavours to establish something like sociality amongst them, determined in his own mind to annoy and punish them for their impudence; so, the next time they united, as before, in a body, on his approach, he watched the opportunity, and when one was off his guard, seized a rope, and, swinging towards him, caught him by the tail, and hauled away upon it, much to the annoyance of the owner, who had no idea that such a retaliation was to take place; he continued pulling upon it, as if determined to detach it, until the agility and desperation of the monkey, at being so treated, obliged him to relinquish his hold. But it not unfrequently happened that he made his way up the rigging, dragging the monkey by the tail after him, and thus made him follow his course most unwillingly. If in his ascent he required both hands, he would pass the tail of his captive into theprehensile power of his foot. It was the most grotesque scene imaginable, and will long remain in the remembrance of those who witnessed it, and was performed by Ungka with the most perfect gravity of countenance, whilst the poor suffering monkey grinned, chattered, twisted about, making the most strenuous endeavours to escape from his opponent’s grasp. His countenance, at all times a figure of fun, now had terror added to it, increasing the delineation of beauty; and when the poor beast had been dragged some distance up the rigging, Ungka, tired of his labour, would suddenly let go his hold on the tail, when it would require some skill on the part of the monkey to seize a rope, to prevent his receiving a compound fracture by a rapid descent on deck. Ungka, having himself no caudal extremity, knew well that he was perfectly free from any retaliation on the part of his opponents.
As this mode of treatment was far from being either amusing or instructive to the monkeys, they assembled together in anexecutive council, where it was determined, that in future the “big black stranger,” who did not accord with them in proportions, and who demeaned himself by walking erect, wearing no tail, and was in several other respects guilty ofunmonkey-like conduct, should be for the future avoided and treated with contempt; and should he again think proper to assault any of the body, they should all unite, and punish him for his violent conduct. Ungka, when again he made any attempt to renew his amusement of pulling tails, met with such a warm reception from all the little creatures assembled, that he found it necessary to give uptale bearing, and devote himself to other pursuits. He had, however, such an inclination todraw out tales, that being obliged from “peculiar circumstances” to relinquish those of the monkeys, he cultivated the friendship of a little clean pig that ran about the deck, and, taking his tail in hand, endeavoured, by frequent pulling, to reduce it from a curled to a straight form; but all his efforts were in vain, although piggy did not express any ill-feeling at his kind endeavours.
When dinner was announced by the steward, and the captain and officers assembled in the cuddy, then Ungka, considering himself as also one of the mess, would be seen bending his steps towards the cuddy, and entering took his station, on a corner of the table, between the captain and myself; there he remained waiting for his share of the food, considering that we were all in duty and humanity bound to supplyhim with a sufficiency of provender. When from any of his ludicrous actions at table we all burst out in loud laughter, he would vent his indignation at being made the subject of ridicule, by uttering his peculiar hollow barking noise, at the same time inflating the air sac, and regarding the persons laughing with a most serious look, until they had ceased, when he would quietly resume his dinner.
The animal had an utter dislike to confinement, and was of such a social disposition as always to prefer company, to being left alone: when shut up his rage was very violent, throwing every thing about that was lying near, or that he could move, in his place of confinement, but becoming perfectly quiet when released. When the animal was standing with his back towards the spectator, his being tail-less, and standing erect, gave him the appearance of a little black hairy man; and such an object might easily have been regarded by the superstitious as one of the infernal imps.
When he walks, to use a nautical phrase, “he sways the body,” and stepping at once on the whole of the under surface of the foot, occasions a pattering noise, like that which is heard when a duck, or any aquatic bird, walks on the deck of a ship.
When the weather is cold, he may be seen huddled together, loses all his lively and playful manner, sleeping much during the day, and giving up all kind of exercise. Like the Lascars, who, as long as the weather is hot, are capable of any duty, but when they arrive in a northern climate, exposed to the bleak winds, they sink into a state of inaction, from which it is almost impossible to rouse them; and many perish, as much from the want of exercise as from the effects of climate.[56]The return of warm weather imparted life to the animal, his activity returned, his spirits revived, and his gambols and sportive gaiety were resumed.
Although every kindness was shown to him by the officers and crew, and sweetmeats and other niceties were given to him by them by way of bribes, to engage his confidence and good opinion, yet he would not permit himself to be taken in the arms, or caressed familiarly by any person on board during the voyage, except by the commander, the third officer, andmyself; but with any of the children he would readily gambol. It was a strange fact, that he in particular avoided all those who wore large bushy whiskers.
It was ludicrous to behold the terrified looks of the animal, if his finger was taken towards a cup of hot tea, as if to ascertain the temperature; and his attempt at remonstrating on the impropriety of such conduct, together with his half-suppressed screams, were very diverting.
Among other amusements, he would frequently hang from a rope by one arm; and, when in a frolicsome humour, frisk about, with his eyes shut, giving him the appearance of a person hanging, and in the agonies of death.
When we spoke a ship at sea, his curiosity seemed to be much excited by the novel object near us, for he would invariably mount up the rigging, at a height sufficient to command a good view of the stranger, and sometimes take up his position on the peak haulyards, just under the flag, a signal, difficult no doubt for the stranger to comprehend; there he would remain gazing wistfully after the departing stranger, until he was out of sight—“give one parting, lingering look,” and then come down on the deck again, and resume the sports from which the stranger’s appearance had disturbed him.
When strangers came on board he approached them with caution, and at such a distance, as he considered consistent with his ideas of safety. To the ladies he did not evince any partiality; we had none on board by which we could judge whether a few days or weeks of their powerful fascinations would have any effect on him. The only lady who had honoured him with her notice was one who came on board from a ship we spoke at sea; he evinced, however, no partiality to the gentle sex, and would not permit her to caress him: whether it was the bonnet, which was of the calibre of 1828, or other portions of the lady’s dress, that excited his indignation, I cannot say, as the animal could not communicate his opinions; whatever the cause might have been, he was evidently not eager to become acquainted with her, but would show a disposition to bite if she attempted to caress him. As she appeared at first timid of approaching him, this show of warfare may have been occasioned by it, and in some degree have made the cunning brute keep up the feeling. I was acquainted with a lady in Ceylon, who, having been bitten by a cockatoo, always evinced great terror at the approach of one which was kept by her Ayah, or lady’s-maid, in thehouse: the bird appeared aware of it, for, when he saw the lady approach, he would flap his wings, elevate his crest, shriek out, and at the same time pretend to pursue her, at which she ran away quite terrified.
When the poor animal lay on the bed of sickness, from dysentery, produced by the cold, there was as much inquiry after his health, by the officers and crew, as if he had been of “human form divine,” for he was a universal favourite on board; and there was much regret when he died—all his gambols and playful antics ceasing for ever. His skin, properly stuffed and preserved in its natural erect attitude, was kept to be consigned, on our arrival in England, to one of the glass-cases in the British Museum, where he was eventually deposited.[57]
His death occurred as follows:—On the 19th of March, 1831, we had reached the latitude 45° 41′ north, and longitude 24° 40′ west. The animal seemed (although clothed in flannel, and kept in my cabin) to suffer much from cold, andwas attacked by dysentery. He would prefer going on the deck, in the cold air, with the persons to whom he was attached, to remaining in the warm cabin with those whom he did not regard. On the 24th he became much worse, his appetite gone, and he had a dislike of being moved; the discharge from the bowels was bilious, mixed with blood and mucus, sometimes entirely of blood and mucus, with a putrescent odour. The breath had a sickly smell, mouth clammy, eyes dull and suffused; he drank a little water occasionally, and sometimes a little tea. I gave the usual remedies of calomel and opium, as if I was treating dysentery in a human being, and although I was obliged to put the medicine down his throat myself, the animal made no resistance; and on a renewal of the doses, did not attempt to prevent it, as if aware that it was intended for his benefit. He generally remained with his head hanging on the breast, and limbs huddled together; he would, however, when yawning, inflate the pouch as usual.
On the 29th we were detained in the “chops of the channel,” by prevailing easterly winds; and he daily sank until the 31st of March, when he died, in latitude 48° 36′ north, longitude 9° 1′ west.
On examination of the body soon after death,the thoracic viscera were found perfectly healthy, and differing from the orang-utan,[58]in being subdivided on each side, the right lung having three, and the left two lobes, as in the human subject. The lungs were perfectly free from tubercles; the spleen was healthy, of small size, and lobulated at one extremity; the liver was large and healthy; the difference in size between that organ and the spleen was considerable, in comparison with the relative proportions of those organs in the human subject. Mr. Owen does not remark, in the dissection of the orang-utan, whether this difference of size in the two organs exists also in that animal; the gall-bladder contained a small quantity of dark, thick, and viscid bile; several of the mesenteric glands were enlarged, some being of a white, others of a dark colour.
On laying open the duodenum, it was found to contain a quantity of mucus, slightly tinged with bile; the colon and cœcum were full of liquid bilious fœces, mixed with mucus, and several small ulcerated patches were seen on the inner surface, and a dark spotted appearance atother parts: the rectum also contained similar fœces, but mixed with a curdy matter; and there were several large patches of ulceration on the inner coat,[59]more particularly near the termination of the gut; the kidneys were healthy; on the right the capsula renalis was large, but none was seen on the left; the bladder was quite empty, the inner surface scarcely moist. The animal had been castrated, but the spermatic cord terminated in the scrotum in two small oval substances, rather larger than small peas; the sacrum and os coccygis were similar to those parts in the human subject.
The communication of the larynx was examined; the epiglottis was only indicated by a slight obtuse angular rising; the sacculi laryngis were three-eighths of an inch in the long diameter, one-eighth in the short; their margins were well defined, continued forwards, below the body of the os hyoides, into a membranous sac, situated beneath the external thick one.[60]This animal has one common sac, and thus differs from the orang-utan, which has two. Theextremities of the bones of the animal were cartilaginous.
The Angola orang (Simia troglodytes, Linn.) has been considered the most perfect of animals, much more so than the Indian orang, (Simia satyrus,) which has been called the orang-utan, althoughbotharevery inferiorto man in corporeal powers and intelligence. When the Indian orang is compelled to take flight from pressing danger, he immediately falls down upon all fours, showing clearly that this was the original position of the animal.[61]
This assertion is correct according to my own observation, as far as regards the orang-utan, and many of the Gibbons, who maintain the erect posture only for a short period; but I found the Ungka ape of Sumatra, (Simia syndactyla,) although, similar to the orang-utan, he would occasionally aid himself by the knuckles when walking, yet would maintain a more erect posture than I have ever observed in the latter animal, besides his general form of body and countenance assimilating more to the human being than the orang. I have seen the Ungka, when pursued, continue to maintain the erect position for some time, until through fatigue, or more probably from terror, he would fall to the ground, becomingan easy capture; but let the ropes of a ship, or any trees, be within reach, he would then avail himself of the powerful, prehensile, and muscular power bestowed upon him by nature, and whether over the rigging of the ship, or the branches of the trees, he would then have sufficient strength and agility to defy pursuit, although he could not effect it on a level surface.