Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-06-02

= The Dyalk Maiden,s Peril.

While at Mintok, Palembang, and
Batavia (says a trayeler), I heard
many remarkable stories. of the agility,
audacity, and especially of the super
human Strength Of the orang- -outang. +.
Twill trespass son your attention by
relating one of the most extraordinary,
at the same time8one ofthe best attested,
which heard while at Batavia. si95
Lieutenant Shoch, of the Dutch East
India armys was on S "a march with
small detachment of troops and coolies,
on the southern coast of Borneo. He
had encamped, on one occasion, during
the MONDAY heat, on the banks of one
of the small tributaries of the Bangar-
massin. The lieutenant had with him
his domestic establishment, which in
cluded his sdaughter-a playful and in
teresting little girl of the age of thirteen.
One, day. while wandering in the
Jungle. beyond the prescribed limits of
the camp, andshaying, from the oppres-
sive heat, loosened her garments, and
thrown them off almost to nudity, the
beauty of her person excited The notice
of ean orang-outangs who sprang upon
her and carried her off Her piercing
screams ran through the forest to the
ears of her doing protectors, and reused
every man in the camp. The swift,
bare-footed coolies were foremost in pur-
suit and now the cry rings in the.
agonized fathers ears that his daughter
is ,devoured by bian-atang-again,
that an orang- -outang has carried her off.
He rushes, half frenzied, with the whole
company, to the thicket whence the
screams proceeded-and there, among
the topmost limbs of an enormous BAN
yam the. father beheld his daughter,
naked, bleeding, and struggling in the
grasp Of powerful orang- -outang, which
held her tightly, yet easily. with one
arm, while. he sprang lightly from limb
to limb, as if wholly unencumbered. 1t
was in vain to think of shooting the
monster, so agile was he. The Dyaks
coolies, knowing the habits of the orang-
outang, and knowing that he will always
plunge into the nearest stream when
hard pressed, began system of opera
tions, to drive him to the water. They
setup a great shout, throwing missiles
of all kinds, and agitating the under
brush, while some proceeded to ascend
the tree. By the redoubled exertions of
the whole company, the monster was
driven toward the water, yet still hold
ingly tightly to the poor girl. 81 'a9'
At last the monster and his victim
were seen on an outstretching limb over
hanging the stream; the coolies, who
are among the expertest swimmers in
the world, Immediately lined the banks;
the soldiers continued the outcries and
throwing of missiles. He clasped his
prize more tightly, took survey of the
water, and Of his upward gazing enemies,
and then leaped into the food below. He
had hardly touched the water ere fifty
resolute swimmers plunged in pursuit.
As he rises a dozen human arms are
reached out toward him he is grasped;
others lay hold upon the insensible girl;
the orangr outang used both arms in de-
fense land, after lacerating the bodies of
some of the coolies with his powerful.
nervous claws finally succeeded in div
ing beyond the reach of his ispursuers and
in escaping down the stream, while
bleeding, insensible Ledah was restored
to the arms of her father and nurse, in
whose hands she was ultimately restored
to consciousness. health and strength
once more.