"Their only manner of walking was on their posterior or inferior
extremities, the others being raised upwards to preserve their
equilibrium, as rope-dancers are assisted by long poles at fairs. Their
progression was not by placing one foot before the other, but by
simultaneously using both, as in jumping." Dr. Salomon Müller also
states that the Gibbons progress upon the ground by a short series of
tottering jumps, effected only by the hind limbs, the body being held
altogether upright.
[Illustration: FIG. 8.--A Gibbon (_H. pileatus_), after Wolf.]
But Mr. Martin (l. c. p. 418), who also speaks from direct observation,
says of the Gibbons generally:
"Pre-eminently qualified for arboreal habits, and
displaying among the branches amazing activity, the
Gibbons are not so awkward or embarrassed on a level
surface as might be imagined. They walk erect, with a
waddling or unsteady gait, but at a quick pace; the
equilibrium of the body requiring to be kept up, either
by touching the ground with the knuckles, first on one
side then on the other, or by uplifting the arms so as to
poise it. As with the Chimpanzee, the whole of the
narrow, long sole of the foot is placed upon the ground
at once and raised at once, without any elasticity of
step."
After this mass of concurrent and independent testimony, it cannot
reasonably be doubted that the Gibbons commonly and habitually assume
the erect attitude.
But level ground is not the place where these animals can display their
very remarkable and peculiar locomotive powers, and that prodigious
activity which almost tempts one to rank them among flying rather than
among ordinary climbing mammals.
Mr. Martin (l. c. p. 430) has given so excellent and graphic an account
of the movements of a _Hylobates agilis_, living in the Zoological
Gardens, in 1840, that I will quote it in full:
"It is almost impossible to convey in words an idea of
the quickness and graceful address of her movements: they
may indeed be termed aerial, as she seems merely to touch
in her progress the branches among which she exhibits her
evolutions. In these feats her hands and arms are the
sole organs of locomotion; her body hanging as if
suspended by a rope, sustained by one hand (the right,
for example), she launches herself, by an energetic
movement, to a distant branch, which she catches with the
left hand; but her hold is less than momentary: the
impulse for the next launch is acquired: the branch then
aimed at is attained by the right hand again, and quitted
instantaneously, and so on, in alternate succession. In
this manner spaces of twelve and eighteen feet are
cleared, with the greatest ease and uninterruptedly, for
hours together, without the slightest appearance of
fatigue being manifested; and it is evident that, if more
space could be allowed, distances very greatly exceeding
eighteen feet would be as easily cleared; so that
Duvaucel's assertion that he has seen these animals
launch themselves from one branch to another, forty feet
asunder, startling as it is, may be well credited.
Sometimes, on seizing a branch in her progress, she will
throw herself, by the power of one arm only, completely
round it, making a revolution with such rapidity as
almost to deceive the eye, and continue her progress with
undiminished velocity. It is singular to observe how
suddenly this Gibbon can stop, when the impetus given by
the rapidity and distance of her swinging leaps would
seem to require a gradual abatement of her movements. In
the very midst of her flight a branch is seized, the body
raised, and she is seen, as if by magic, quietly seated
on it, grasping it with her feet. As suddenly she again
throws herself into action.
"The following facts will convey some notion of her
dexterity and quickness. A live bird was let loose in her
apartment; she marked its flight, made a long swing to a
distant branch, caught the bird with one hand in her
passage, and attained the branch with her other hand; her
aim, both at the bird and at the branch, being as
successful as if one object only had engaged her
attention. It may be added that she instantly bit off the
head of the bird, picked its feathers, and then threw it
down without attempting to eat it.
"On another occasion this animal swung herself from a
perch, across a passage at least twelve feet wide,
against a window which it was thought would be
immediately broken: but not so; to the surprise of all,
she caught the narrow framework between the panes with
her hand, in an instant attained the proper impetus, and
sprang back again to the cage she had left--a feat
requiring not only great strength, but the nicest
precision."
The Gibbons appear to be naturally very gentle, but there is very good
evidence that they will bite severely when irritated--a female
_Hylobates agilis_ having so severely lacerated one man with her long
canines, that he died; while she had injured others so much that, by way
of precaution, these formidable teeth had been filed down; but, if
threatened, she would still turn on her keeper. The Gibbons eat insects,
but appear generally to avoid animal food. A Siamang, however, was seen
by Mr. Bennett to seize and devour greedily a live lizard. They commonly
drink by dipping their fingers in the liquid and then licking them. It
is asserted that they sleep in a sitting posture.
Duvaucel affirms that he has seen the females carry their young to the
waterside and there wash their faces, in spite of resistance and cries.
They are gentle and affectionate in captivity--full of tricks and
pettishness, like spoiled children, and yet not devoid of a certain
conscience, as an anecdote, told by Mr. Bennett (l. c. p. 156), will
show. It would appear that his Gibbon had a peculiar inclination for
disarranging things in the cabin. Among these articles, a piece of soap
would especially attract his notice, and for the removal of this he had
been once or twice scolded. "One morning," says Mr. Bennett, "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 having done wrong both
by his first and last actions--and what is reason if that is not an
exercise of it?"
* * * * *
The most elaborate account of the natural history of the ORANG-UTAN
extant, is that given in the "Verhandelingen over de Natuurlijke
Geschiedenis der Nederlandsche overzeesche Bezittingen (1839-45)," by
Dr. Salomon Müller and Dr. Schlegel, and I shall base what I have to say
upon this subject almost entirely on their statements, adding, here and
there, particulars of interest from the writings of Brooke, Wallace, and
others.
[Illustration: FIG. 9.--An adult male Orang-Utan, after Müller and
Schlegel.]
The Orang-Utan would rarely seem to exceed four feet in height, but the
body is very bulky, measuring two-thirds of the height in
circumference.[18]
The Orang-Utan is found only in Sumatra and Borneo, and is common in
neither of these islands--in both of which it occurs always in low, flat
plains, never in the mountains. It loves the densest and most sombre of
the forests, which extend from the sea-shore inland, and thus is found
only in the eastern half of Sumatra, where alone such forests occur,
though, occasionally, it strays over to the western side.
On the other hand, it is generally distributed through Borneo, except in
the mountains, or where the population is dense. In favourable places,
the hunter may, by good fortune, see three or four in a day.
Except in the pairing time, the old males usually live by themselves.
The old females, and the immature males, on the other hand, are often
met with in twos and threes; and the former occasionally have young with
them, though the pregnant females usually separate themselves, and
sometimes remain apart after they have given birth to their offspring.
The young Orangs seem to remain unusually long under their mother's
protection, probably in consequence of their slow growth. While
climbing, the mother always carries her young against her bosom, the
young holding on by his mother's hair.[19] At what time of life the
Orang-Utan becomes capable of propagation, and how long the females go
with young, is unknown, but it is probable that they are not adult until
they arrive at ten or fifteen years of age. A female which lived for
five years at Batavia, had not attained one-third the height of the wild
females. It is probable that, after reaching adult years, they go on
growing, though slowly, and that they live to forty or fifty years. The
Dyaks tell of old Orangs, which have not only lost all their teeth, but
which find it so troublesome to climb, that they maintain themselves on
windfalls and juicy herbage.
The Orang is sluggish, exhibiting none of that marvellous activity
characteristic of the Gibbons. Hunger alone seems to stir him to
exertion, and when it is stilled he relapses into repose. When the
animal sits, it curves its back and bows its head, so as to look
straight down on the ground; sometimes it holds on with its hands by a
higher branch, sometimes lets them hang phlegmatically down by its
side--and in these positions the Orang will remain, for hours together,
in the same spot, almost without stirring, and only now and then giving
utterance to its deep, growling voice. By day, he usually climbs from
one tree-top to another, and only at night descends to the ground, and
if then threatened with danger, he seeks refuge among the underwood.
When not hunted, he remains a long time in the same locality, and
sometimes stops for many days on the same tree--a firm place among its
branches serving him for a bed. It is rare for the Orang to pass the
night in the summit of a large tree, probably because it is too windy
and cold there for him; but, as soon as night draws on, he descends from
the height and seeks out a fit bed in the lower and darker part, or in
the leafy top of a small tree, among which he prefers Nibong Palms,
Pandani, or one of those parasitic Orchids which give the primæval
forests of Borneo so characteristic and striking an appearance. But
wherever he determines to sleep, there he prepares himself a sort of
nest: little boughs and leaves are drawn together round the selected
spot, and bent crosswise over one another; while to make the bed soft,
great leaves of Ferns, of Orchids, of _Pandanus fascicularis_, _Nipa
fruticans_, &c., are laid over them. Those which Müller saw, many of
them being very fresh, were situated at a height of ten to twenty-five
feet above the ground, and had a circumference, on the average, of two
or three feet. Some were packed many inches thick with _Pandanus_
leaves; others were remarkable only for the cracked twigs, which, united
in a common centre, formed a regular platform. "The rude _hut_," says
Sir James Brooke, "which they are stated to build in the trees, would be
more properly called a seat or nest, for it has no roof or cover of any
sort. The facility with which they form this nest is curious, and I had
an opportunity of seeing a wounded female weave the branches together
and seat herself, within a minute."
According to the Dyaks, the Orang rarely leaves his bed before the sun
is well above the horizon and has dissipated the mists. He gets up about
nine, and goes to bed again about five; but sometimes not till late in
the twilight. He lies sometimes on his back; or, by way of change, turns
on one side or the other, drawing his limbs up to his body, and resting
his head on his hand. When the night is cold, windy, or rainy, he
usually covers his body with a heap of _Pandanus_, _Nipa_, or Fern
leaves, like those of which his bed is made, and he is especially
careful to wrap up his head in them. It is this habit of covering
himself up which has probably led to the fable that the Orang builds
huts in the trees.
Although the Orang resides mostly amid the boughs of great trees, during
the daytime, he is very rarely seen squatting on a thick branch, as
other apes, and particularly the Gibbons, do. The Orang, on the
contrary, confines himself to the slender leafy branches, so that he is
seen right at the top of the trees, a mode of life which is closely
related to the constitution of his hinder limbs, and especially to that
of his seat. For this is provided with no callosities, such as are
possessed by many of the lower apes, and even by the Gibbons; and those
bones of the pelvis, which are termed the ischia, and which form the
solid framework of the surface on which the body rests in the sitting
posture, are not expanded like those of the apes which possess
callosities, but are more like those of man.
An Orang climbs so slowly and cautiously,[20] as, in this act, to
resemble a man more than an ape, taking great care of his feet, so that
injury of them seems to affect him far more than it does other apes.
Unlike the Gibbons, whose forearms do the greater part of the work, as
they swing from branch to branch, the Orang never makes even the
smallest jump. In climbing, he moves alternately one hand and one foot,
or, after having laid fast hold with the hands, he draws up both feet
together. In passing from one tree to another, he always seeks out a
place where the twigs of both come close together, or interlace. Even
when closely pursued, his circumspection is amazing: he shakes the
branches to see if they will bear him, and then bending an overhanging
bough down by throwing his weight gradually along it, he makes a bridge
from the tree he wishes to quit to the next.[21]
On the ground the Orang always goes laboriously and shakily, on all
fours. At starting he will run faster than a man, though he may soon be
overtaken. The very long arms which, when he runs, are but little bent,
raise the body of the Orang remarkably, so that he assumes much the
posture of a very old man bent down by age, and making his way along by
the help of a stick. In walking, the body is usually directed straight
forward, unlike the other apes, which run more or less obliquely; except
the Gibbons, who in these, as in so many other respects, depart
remarkably from their fellows.
The Orang cannot put its feet flat on the ground, but is supported upon
their outer edges, the heel resting more on the ground, while the curved
toes partly rest upon the ground by the upper side of their first joint,
the two outermost toes of each foot completely resting on this surface.
The hands are held in the opposite manner, their inner edges serving as
the chief support. The fingers are then bent out in such a manner that
their foremost joints, especially those of the two innermost fingers,
rest upon the ground by their upper sides, while the point of the free
and straight thumb serves as an additional fulcrum.
The Orang never stands on its hind legs, and all the pictures,
representing it as so doing, are as false as the assertion that it
defends itself with sticks, and the like.
The long arms are of especial use, not only in climbing, but in the
gathering of food from boughs to which the animal could not trust his
weight. Figs, blossoms, and young leaves of various kinds, constitute
the chief nutriment of the Orang; but strips of bamboo two or three feet
long were found in the stomach of a male. They are not known to eat
living animals.
Although, when taken young, the Orang-Utan soon becomes domesticated,
and indeed seems to court human society, it is naturally a very wild and
shy animal, though apparently sluggish and melancholy. The Dyaks affirm,
that when the old males are wounded with arrows only, they will
occasionally leave the trees and rush raging upon their enemies, whose
sole safety lies in instant flight, as they are sure to be killed if
caught.[22]
But, though possessed of immense strength, it is rare for the Orang to
attempt to defend itself, especially when attacked with fire-arms. On
such occasions he endeavours to hide himself, or to escape along the
topmost branches of the trees, breaking off and throwing down the
boughs as he goes. When wounded he betakes himself to the highest
attainable point of the tree, and emits a singular cry, consisting at
first of high notes, which at length deepen into a low roar, not unlike
that of a panther. While giving out the high notes the Orang thrusts out
his lips into a funnel shape; but in uttering the low notes he holds his
mouth wide open, and at the same time the great throat bag, or laryngeal
sac, becomes distended.
According to the Dyaks, the only animal the Orang measures his strength
with is the crocodile, who occasionally seizes him on his visits to the
water side. But they say that the Orang is more than a match for his
enemy, and beats him to death, or rips up his throat by pulling the jaws
asunder!
Much of what has been here stated was probably derived by Dr. Müller
from the reports of his Dyak hunters; but a large male, four feet high,
lived in captivity, under his observation, for a month, and receives a
very bad character.
"He was a very wild beast," says Müller, "of prodigious strength, and
false and wicked to the last degree. If any one approached he rose up
slowly with a low growl, fixed his eyes in the direction in which he
meant to make his attack, slowly passed his hand between the bars of his
cage, and then extending his long arm, gave a sudden grip--usually at
the face." He never tried to bite (though Orangs will bite one another),
his great weapons of offence and defence being his hands.
His intelligence was very great; and Müller remarks, that though the
faculties of the Orang have been estimated too highly, yet Cuvier, had
he seen this specimen, would not have considered its intelligence to be
only a little higher than that of the dog.
His hearing was very acute, but the sense of vision seemed to be less
perfect. The under lip was the great organ of touch, and played a very
important part in drinking, being thrust out like a trough, so as either
to catch the falling rain, or to receive the contents of the half
cocoa-nut shell full of water with which the Orang was supplied, and
which, in drinking, he poured into the trough thus formed.
In Borneo the Orang-Utan of the Malays goes by the name of "_Mias_"
among the Dyaks, who distinguish several kinds as _Mias Pappan_, or
_Zimo_, _Mias Kassu_, and _Mias Rambi_. Whether these are distinct
species, however, or whether they are mere races, and how far any of
them are identical with the Sumatran Orang, as Mr. Wallace thinks the
Mias Pappan to be, are problems which are at present undecided; and the
variability of these great apes is so extensive, that the settlement of
the question is a matter of great difficulty. Of the form called "Mias
Pappan," Mr. Wallace[23] observes, "It is known by its large size, and
by the lateral expansion of the face into fatty protuberances, or
ridges, over the temporal muscles, which have been mis-termed
_callosities_, as they are perfectly soft, smooth, and flexible. Five of
this form, measured by me, varied only from 4 feet 1 inch to 4 feet 2
inches in height, from the heel to the crown of the head, the girth of
the body from 3 feet to 3 feet 7-1/2 inches, and the extent of the
outstretched arms from 7 feet 2 inches to 7 feet 6 inches; the width of
the face from 10 to 13-1/4 inches. The colour and length of the hair
varied in different individuals, and in different parts of the same
individual; some possessed a rudimentary nail on the great toe, others
none at all; but they otherwise present no external differences on which
to establish even varieties of a species.
"Yet, when we examine the crania of these individuals, we find
remarkable differences of form, proportion, and dimension, no two being
exactly alike. The slope of the profile, and the projection of the
muzzle, together with the size of the cranium, offer differences as
decided as those existing between the most strongly marked forms of the
Caucasian and African crania in the human species. The orbits vary in
width and height, the cranial ridge is either single or double, either
much or little developed, and the zygomatic aperture varies considerably
in size. This variation in the proportions of the crania enables us
satisfactorily to explain the marked difference presented by the
single-crested and double-crested skulls, which have been thought to
prove the existence of two large species of Orang. The external surface
of the skull varies considerably in size, as do also the zygomatic
aperture and the temporal muscle; but they bear no necessary relation to
each other, a small muscle often existing with a large cranial surface,
and _vice versâ_. Now, those skulls which have the largest and strongest
jaws and the widest zygomatic aperture, have the muscles so large that
they meet on the crown of the skull, and deposit the bony ridge which
separates them, and which is the highest in that which has the smallest
cranial surface. In those which combine a large surface with
comparatively weak jaws, and small zygomatic aperture, the muscles, on
each side, do not extend to the crown, a space of from 1 to 2 inches
remaining between them, and along their margins small ridges are formed.
Intermediate forms are found, in which the ridges meet only in the
hinder part of the skull. The form and size of the ridges are therefore
independent of age, being sometimes more strongly developed in the less
aged animal. Professor Temminck states that the series of skulls in the
Leyden Museum shows the same result."
Mr. Wallace observed two male adult Orangs (Mias Kassu of the Dyaks),
however, so very different from any of these that he concludes them to
be specifically distinct; they were respectively 3 feet 8-1/2 inches and
3 feet 9-1/2 inches high, and possessed no sign of the cheek
excrescences, but otherwise resembled the larger kinds. The skull has
no crest, but two bony ridges, 1-3/4 inches to 2 inches apart, as in the
_Simia morio_ of Professor Owen. The teeth, however, are immense,
equalling or surpassing those of the other species. The females of both
these kinds, according to Mr. Wallace, are devoid of excrescences, and
resemble the smaller males, but are shorter by 1-1/2 to 3 inches, and
their canine teeth are comparatively small, subtruncated and dilated at
the base, as in the so-called _Simia morio_, which is, in all
probability, the skull of a female of the same species as the smaller
males. Both males and females of this smaller species are
distinguishable, according to Mr. Wallace, by the comparatively large
size of the middle incisors of the upper jaw.
* * * * *
So far as I am aware, no one has attempted to dispute the accuracy of
the statements which I have just quoted regarding the habits of the two
Asiatic man-like Apes; and if true, they must be admitted as evidence,
that such an Ape--
1stly, May readily move along the ground in the erect, or semi-erect,
position, and without direct support from its arms.
2ndly, That it may possess an extremely loud voice, so loud as to be
readily heard one or two miles.
3rdly, That it may be capable of great viciousness and violence when
irritated: and this is especially true of adult males.
4thly, That it may build a nest to sleep in.
Such being well-established facts respecting the Asiatic Anthropoids,
analogy alone might justify us in expecting the African species to offer
similar peculiarities, separately or combined; or, at any rate, would
destroy the force of any attempted _à priori_ argument against such
direct testimony as might be adduced in favour of their existence. And,
if the organization of any of the African Apes could be demonstrated to
fit it better than either of its Asiatic allies for the erect position
and for efficient attack, there would be still less reason for doubting
its occasional adoption of the upright attitude or of aggressive
proceedings.
From the time of Tyson and Tulpius downwards, the habits of the young
CHIMPANZEE in a state of captivity have been abundantly reported and
commented upon. But trustworthy evidence as to the manners and customs
of adult anthropoids of this species, in their native woods, was almost
wanting up to the time of the publication of the paper by Dr. Savage, to
which I have already referred; containing notes of the observations
which he made, and of the information which he collected from sources
which he considered trustworthy, while resident at Cape Palmas, at the
north-western limit of the Bight of Benin.
The adult Chimpanzees, measured by Dr. Savage, never exceeded, though
the males may almost attain, five feet in height.
"When at rest, the sitting posture is that generally
assumed. They are sometimes seen standing and walking,
but when thus detected, they immediately take to all
fours, and flee from the presence of the observer. Such
is their organization that they cannot stand erect, but
lean forward. Hence they are seen, when standing, with
the hands clasped over the occiput, or the lumbar region,
which would seem necessary to balance or ease of posture.
"The toes of the adult are strongly flexed and turned
inwards, and cannot be perfectly straightened. In the
attempt the skin gathers into thick folds on the back,
shewing that the full expansion of the foot, as is
necessary in walking, is unnatural. The natural position
is on all fours, the body anteriorly resting upon the
knuckles. These are greatly enlarged, with the skin
protuberant and thickened like the sole of the foot.
"They are expert climbers, as one would suppose from
their organization. In their gambols they swing from limb
to limb to a great distance, and leap with astonishing
agility. It is not unusual to see the 'old folks' (in the
language of an observer) sitting under a tree regaling
themselves with fruit and friendly chat, while their
'children' are leaping around them, and swinging from
tree to tree with boisterous merriment.
"As seen here, they cannot be called _gregarious_, seldom
more than five, or ten at most, being found together. It
has been said, on good authority, that they occasionally
assemble in large numbers, in gambols. My informant
asserts that he saw once not less than fifty so engaged;
hooting, screaming, and drumming with sticks upon old
logs, which is done in the latter case with equal
facility by the four extremities. They do not appear ever
to act on the offensive, and seldom, if ever really, on
the defensive. When about to be captured, they resist by
throwing their arms about their opponent, and attempting
to draw him into contact with their teeth." (Savage, l.
c. p. 384.)
With respect to this last point Dr. Savage is very explicit in another
place:
"_Biting_ is their principal art of defence. I have seen
one man who had been thus severely wounded in the feet.
"The strong development of the canine teeth in the adult
would seem to indicate a carnivorous propensity; but in
no state save that of domestication do they manifest it.
At first they reject flesh, but easily acquire a fondness
for it. The canines are early developed, and evidently
designed to act the important part of weapons of defence.
When in contact with man almost the first effort of the
animal is--_to bite_.
"They avoid the abodes of men, and build their
habitations in trees. Their construction is more that of
_nests_ than _hut_, as they have been erroneously termed
by some naturalists. They generally build not far above
the ground. Branches or twigs are bent, or partly broken,
and crossed, and the whole supported by the body of a
limb or a crotch. Sometimes a nest will be found near the
_end_ of a _strong leafy branch_ twenty or thirty feet
from the ground. One I have lately seen that could not be
less than forty feet, and more probably it was fifty. But
this is an unusual height.
"Their dwelling-place is not permanent, but changed in
pursuit of food and solitude, according to the force of
circumstances. We more often see them in elevated places;
but this arises from the fact that the low grounds, being
more favourable for the natives' rice-farms, are the
oftener cleared, and hence are almost always wanting in
suitable trees for their nests.... It is seldom that more
than one or two nests are seen upon the same tree, or in
the same neighbourhood: five have been found, but it was
an unusual circumstance....
"They are very filthy in their habits.... It is a
tradition with the natives generally here, that they were
once members of their own tribe: that for their depraved
habits they were expelled from all human society, and,
that through an obstinate indulgence of their vile
propensities, they have degenerated into their present
state and organization. They are, however, eaten by them,
and when cooked with the oil and pulp of the palm-nut
considered a highly palatable morsel.
"They exhibit a remarkable degree of intelligence in
their habits, and, on the part of the mother, much
affection for their young. The second female described
was upon a tree when first discovered, with her mate and
two young ones (a male and a female). Her first impulse
was to descend with great rapidity, and make off into the
thicket, with her mate and female offspring. The young
male remaining behind, she soon returned to the rescue.
She ascended and took him in her arms, at which moment
she was shot, the ball passing through the forearm of the
young one, on its way to the heart of the mother....
"In a recent case, the mother, when discovered, remained
upon the tree with her offspring, watching intently the
movements of the hunter. As he took aim, she motioned
with her hand, precisely in the manner of a human being,
to have him desist and go away. When the wound has not
proved instantly fatal, they have been known to stop the
flow of blood by pressing with the hand upon the part,
and when this did not succeed, to apply leaves and
grass.... When shot, they give a sudden screech, not
unlike that of a human being in sudden and acute
distress."
The ordinary voice of the Chimpanzee, however, is affirmed to be hoarse,
guttural, and not very loud, somewhat like "whoo-whoo" (l. c. p. 365).
The analogy of the Chimpanzee to the Orang, in its nest-building habit
and in the mode of forming its nest, is exceedingly interesting; while,
on the other hand, the activity of this ape, and its tendency to bite,
are particulars in which it rather resembles the Gibbons. In extent of
geographical range, again, the Chimpanzees--which are found from Sierra
Leone to Congo--remind one of the Gibbons, rather than of either of
the other man-like Apes; and it seems not unlikely that, as is the case
with the Gibbons, there may be several species spread over the
geographical area of the genus.
The same excellent observer, from whom I have borrowed the preceding
account of the habits of the adult Chimpanzee, published, fifteen years
ago,[24] an account of the GORILLA, which has, in its most essential
points, been confirmed by subsequent observers, and to which so very
little has really been added, that in justice to Dr. Savage I give it
almost in full.
"It should be borne in mind that my account is based upon
the statements of the aborigines of that region (the
Gaboon). In this connection, it may also be proper for me
to remark, that having been a missionary resident for
several years, studying, from habitual intercourse, the
African mind and character, I felt myself prepared to
discriminate and decide upon the probability of their
statements. Besides, being familiar with the history and
habits of its interesting congener (_Trog. niger_,
Geoff.), I was able to separate their accounts of the two
animals, which, having the same locality and a similarity
of habit, are confounded in the minds of the mass,
especially as but few--such as traders to the interior
and huntsmen--have ever seen the animal in question.
"The tribe from which our knowledge of the animal is
derived, and whose territory forms its habitat, is the
_Mpongwe_, occupying both banks of the River Gaboon, from
its mouth to some fifty or sixty miles upward....
"If the word 'Pongo' be of African origin, it is probably
a corruption of the word _Mpongwe_, the name of the tribe
on the banks of the Gaboon, and hence applied to the
region they inhabit. Their local name for the Chimpanzee
is _Enché-eko_, as near as it can be Anglicized, from
which the common term 'Jocko' probably comes. The Mpongwe
appellation for its new congener is _Engé-ena_,
prolonging the sound of the first vowel, and slightly
sounding the second.
[Illustration: FIG. 10.--The Gorilla (after Wolff).]
"The habitat of the _Engé-ena_ is the interior of lower
Guinea, whilst that of the _Enché-eko_ is nearer the
sea-board.
"Its height is about five feet; it is disproportionately
broad across the shoulders, thickly covered with coarse
black hair, which is said to be similar in its
arrangement to that of the _Enché-eko_; with age it
becomes grey, which fact has given rise to the report
that both animals are seen of different colours.
"_Head._--The prominent features of the head are, the
great width and elongation of the face, the depth of the
molar region, the branches of the lower jaw being very
deep and extending far backward, and the comparative
smallness of the cranial portion; the eyes are very
large, and said to be like those of the Enché-eko, a
bright hazel; nose broad and flat, slightly elevated
towards the root; the muzzle broad, and prominent lips
and chin, with scattered grey hairs; the under lip highly
mobile, and capable of great elongation when the animal
is enraged, then hanging over the chin; skin of the face
and ears naked, and of a dark brown, approaching to
black.
"The most remarkable feature of the head is a high ridge,
or crest of hair, in the course of the sagittal suture,
which meets posteriorly with a transverse ridge of the
same, but less prominent, running round from the back of
one ear to the other. The animal has the power of moving
the scalp freely forward and back, and when enraged is
said to contract it strongly over the brow, thus bringing
down the hairy ridge and pointing the hair forward, so as
to present an indescribably ferocious aspect.
"Neck short, thick, and hairy; chest and shoulders very
broad, said to be fully double the size of the
Enché-ekos; arms very long, reaching some way below the
knee--the forearm much the shortest; hands very large,
the thumbs much larger than the fingers....
"The gait is shuffling; the motion of the body, which is
never upright as in man, but bent forward, is somewhat
rolling, or from side to side. The arms being longer than
the Chimpanzee, it does not stoop as much in walking;
like that animal, it makes progression by thrusting its
arms forward, resting the hands on the ground, and then
giving the body a half jumping half swinging motion
between them. In this act it is said not to flex the
fingers, as does the Chimpanzee, resting on its
knuckles, but to extend them, making a fulcrum of the
hand. When it assumes the walking posture, to which it is
said to be much inclined, it balances its huge body by
flexing its arms upward.
"They live in bands, but are not so numerous as the
Chimpanzees: the females generally exceed the other sex
in number. My informants all agree in the assertion that
but one adult male is seen in a band; that when the young
males grow up, a contest takes place for mastery, and the
strongest, by killing and driving out the others,
establishes himself as the head of the community."
Dr. Savage repudiates the stories about the Gorillas carrying off women
and vanquishing elephants, and then adds:
"Their dwellings, if they may be so called, are similar
to those of the Chimpanzee, consisting simply of a few
sticks and leafy branches, supported by the crotches and
limbs of trees: they afford no shelter, and are occupied
only at night.
[Illustration: FIG. 11.--Gorilla walking (after Wolff).]
"They are exceedingly ferocious, and always offensive in
their habits, never running from man, as does the
Chimpanzee. They are objects of terror to the natives,
and are never encountered by them except on the
defensive. The few that have been captured were killed by
elephant-hunters and native traders, as they came
suddenly upon them while passing through the forests.
"It is said that when the male is first seen he gives a
terrific yell, that resounds far and wide through the
forest, something like kh--ah! kh--ah! prolonged and
shrill. His enormous jaws are widely opened at each
expiration, his under lip hangs over the chin, and the
hairy ridge and scalp are contracted upon the brow,
presenting an aspect of indescribable ferocity.
"The females and young, at the first cry, quickly
disappear. He then approaches the enemy in great fury,
pouring out his horrid cries in quick succession. The
hunter awaits his approach with his gun extended: if his
aim is not sure, he permits the animal to grasp the
barrel, and as he carries it to his mouth (which is his
habit) he fires. Should the gun fail to go off, the
barrel (that of the ordinary musket, which is thin) is
crushed between his teeth, and the encounter soon proves
fatal to the hunter.
"In the wild state, their habits are in general like
those of the _Troglodytes niger_, building their nests
loosely in trees, living on similar fruits, and changing
their place of resort from force of circumstances."
Dr. Savage's observations were confirmed and supplemented by those of
Mr. Ford, who communicated an interesting paper on the Gorilla to the
Philadelphian Academy of Sciences, in 1852. With respect to the
geographical distribution of this greatest of all the man-like Apes, Mr.
Ford remarks:
"This animal inhabits the range of mountains that
traverse the interior of Guinea, from the Cameroon in the
north, to Angola in the south, and about 100 miles
inland, and called by the geographers Crystal Mountains.
The limit to which this animal extends, either north or
south, I am unable to define. But that limit is doubtless
some distance north of this river [Gaboon]. I was able to
certify myself of this fact in a late excursion to the
head-waters of the Mooney (Danger) River, which comes
into the sea some sixty miles from this place. I was
informed (credibly, I think) that they were numerous
among the mountains in which that river rises, and far
north of that.
"In the south, this species extends to the Congo River,
as I am told by native traders who have visited the coast
between the Gaboon and that river. Beyond that, I am not
informed. This animal is only found at a distance from
the coast in most cases, and, according to my best
information, approaches it nowhere so nearly as on the
south side of this river, where they have been found
within ten miles of the sea. This, however, is only of
late occurrence. I am informed by some of the oldest
Mpongwe men that formerly he was only found on the
sources of the river, but that at present he may be
found within half-a-day's walk of its mouth. Formerly he
inhabited the mountainous ridge where Bushmen alone
inhabited, but now he boldly approaches the Mpongwe
plantations. This is doubtless the reason of the scarcity
of information in years past, as the opportunities for
receiving a knowledge of the animal have not been
wanting; traders having for one hundred years frequented
this river, and specimens, such as have been brought here
within a year, could not have been exhibited without
having attracted the attention of the most stupid."
One specimen Mr. Ford examined weighed 170 lbs., without the thoracic,
or pelvic, viscera, and measured four feet four inches round the chest.
This writer describes so minutely and graphically the onslaught of the
Gorilla--though he does not for a moment pretend to have witnessed the
scene--that I am tempted to give this part of his paper in full, for
comparison with other narratives:
"He always rises to his feet when making an attack,
though he approaches his antagonist in a stooping
posture.
"Though he never lies in wait, yet, when he hears, sees,
or scents a man, he immediately utters his characteristic
cry, prepares for an attack, and always acts on the
offensive. The cry he utters resembles a grunt more than
a growl, and is similar to the cry of the Chimpanzee,
when irritated, but vastly louder. It is said to be
audible at a great distance. His preparation consists in
attending the females and young ones, by whom he is
usually accompanied, to a little distance. He, however,
soon returns, with his crest erect and projecting
forward, his nostrils dilated, and his under-lip thrown
down; at the same time uttering his characteristic yell,
designed, it would seem, to terrify his antagonist.
Instantly, unless he is disabled by a well-directed shot,
he makes an onset, and, striking his antagonist with the
palm of his hands, or seizing him with a grasp from which
there is no escape, he dashes him upon the ground, and
lacerates him with his tusks.
"He is said to seize a musket, and instantly crush the
barrel between his teeth.... This animal's savage nature
is very well shewn by the implacable desperation of a
young one that was brought here. It was taken very young,
and kept four months, and many means were used to tame
it; but it was incorrigible, so that it bit me an hour
before it died."
Mr. Ford discredits the house-building and elephant-driving stories, and
says that no well-informed natives believe them. They are tales told to
children.
I might quote other testimony to a similar effect, but, as it appears to
me, less carefully weighed and sifted, from the letters of MM. Franquet
and Gautier Laboullay, appended to the memoir of M. I. G. St. Hilaire,
which I have already cited.
Bearing in mind what is known regarding the Orang and the Gibbon, the
statements of Dr. Savage and Mr. Ford do not appear to me to be justly
open to criticism on _à priori_ grounds. The Gibbons, as we have seen,
readily assume the erect posture, but the Gorilla is far better fitted
by its organization for that attitude than are the Gibbons: if the
laryngeal pouches of the Gibbons, as is very likely, are important in
giving volume to a voice which can be heard for half a league, the
Gorilla, which has similar sacs, more largely developed, and whose bulk
is fivefold that of a Gibbon, may well be audible for twice that
distance. If the Orang fights with its hands, the Gibbons and
Chimpanzees with their teeth, the Gorilla may, probably enough, do
either or both; nor is there anything to be said against either
Chimpanzee or Gorilla building a nest, when it is proved that the
Orang-Utan habitually performs that feat.
With all this evidence, now ten to fifteen years old, before the world,
it is not a little surprising that the assertions of a recent traveller,
who, so far as the Gorilla is concerned, really does very little more
than repeat, on his own authority, the statements of Savage and of Ford,
should have met with so much and such bitter opposition. If subtraction
be made of what was known before, the sum and substance of what M. Du
Chaillu has affirmed as a matter of his own observation respecting the
Gorilla, is, that, in advancing to the attack, the great brute beats his
chest with his fists. I confess I see nothing very improbable, or very
much worth disputing about, in this statement.
With respect to the other man-like Apes of Africa, M. Du Chaillu tells
us absolutely nothing, of his own knowledge, regarding the common
Chimpanzee; but he informs us of a bald-headed species or variety, the
_nschiego mbouve_, which builds itself a shelter, and of another rare
kind with a comparatively small face, large facial angle, and peculiar
note, resembling "Kooloo."
As the Orang shelters itself with a rough coverlet of leaves, and the
common Chimpanzee, according to that eminently trustworthy observer Dr.
Savage, makes a sound like "Whoo-whoo,"--the grounds of the summary
repudiation with which M. Du Chaillu's statements on these matters have
been met is not obvious.
If I have abstained from quoting M. Du Chaillu's work, then, it is not
because I discern any inherent improbability in his assertions
respecting the man-like Apes; nor from any wish to throw suspicion on
his veracity; but because, in my opinion, so long as his narrative
remains in its present state of unexplained and apparently inexplicable
confusion, it has no claim to original authority respecting any subject
whatsoever.
It may be truth, but it is not evidence.