The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-04-26
The Orang-Outang.


two orang- outangs. These interesting
beasts are now accommodated with apart.
ments in the keepers room adjoining the
monkey house. They are very funny,
and about as big as human baby Just be-
ginning to walk. They sit in their box
surrounded with flannels, and nestle one
against the other like the babes in the
wood. Their features are exceedingly
human; in fact, have seen many human
faces that are much less human In ap-
pearance than these infantine catarrhines,
or apes of the old continent. They are
covered with hair, long and scanty, and
of deep chestnut red. The ears are
very small and well shaped. The orbits
of the eyes prominent; the eyes very
bright and observant; no eyelashes, but
the eyclids are surrounded bv few stiff
hairs. The forearms are much longer
than the legs; all the hairs of the fore
arm point toward the elbow, where they
unite with those of the humerus, and end
in point. The fingers are very long;
in fact, the hand Is more like foot. The
thumb Is placed parallel with the fingers.
aud is not Of the same service to the ami
NAL as the human thumb. All the fiu-
gers have nails of blacklist color and
oval form, but I believe some have no
nail on the thumb.
1t is very funny to see the orang try to
walk upright. When he is put on the
floor he manages to progress by placing
his bent fists upon the ground and draw
ing his body between his arms. When
moving in this manner, he strongly re-
sembles a cripple walking on clutches.
In a state of nature, he probably seldom
moves along the ground; his whole con-
figuration showing his fitness for climb
ing trees and clinging to their branches.
The length and pliability of his fingers
and toes enable him to grasp with ia
cility and steadiness; and the force OF
his muscles empowers him to support his
body for great length of time by one
hand or foot. He can thus pass from one
fixed object to another, at the distance of
his reach from each other, and can OBJ
viously pass from one branch of q tree to
another, through much greater interval.
In sitting on fiat surface, this animal
turns his legs under him. In sitting on
the branch of q tree, or ON rope, he
rests on his heels, his body leaning for
ward against his thigh. This animal
uses his hands like others of the monkey
tribe.
The orangs, as they sit in their box,
look exceedingly grave and sedate. They
have some what the physiognomy of an
Eastern Prince who has no end of riches
and nothing particular to do, yet fond of
being amused by other people. / expect
their intelligence is very great. 1t is
very old story that monkeys can talk if
they like, but won't because they would
be made TO work. 1t would indeed be
wonderful thing if we could get one of
these Orangs to articulate even q single
word and should much like the opin.
ion of one of the clever professors who
teach the deaf and dumb people to artic-
ulate words.
1t is a curious fact that the adult ami
mails are never taken, or, L believe, ever
seen. while the young ones are compare
lively common. The parents are, / be-
lieve, immense fellows, growing between
five and six feet. In the "Asiatic Re.
searches" DR.. Abel gives an account of
large orang having been killed by the Of
ficers of the brig Mary Ann Sophia, who
had landed to procure water at place
called Ramboon, near Touraman, on the
northwest coast of Sumatra. This appa-
rition, "when moving. had the appear
ance of a tall, manlike figure, covered
with shining brown hair, walking erect,
with waddling gait" They managed to
hunt him to place where there were few
re es, and they were obliged to cut down
the trees before they could drive him to
fight on the ground. 1t is stated by those
who aided in his death that the human
like expression of his countenance, and
the piteous manner of placing his hands
over his wounds, distressed their feelings,
and almost made them question the ma
ture of the act they were committing.
When dead, both natives and Europeans |
his figure with amazement. |
His. stature, at the very smallest computa-
ton, was six feet. He was said to be a |
fun head taller than any man on board, |
measuring seven feet In what might be |
called his ordinary standing posture, and
eight feet when suspended for the pur-
pose of being skinned.
1t seems probable that the animal had
travelled from some distance to the place
where he was found, as his legs were COW
cred with mud.up 10 the knees, and he was
considered as great prodigy BY the ma
lives as by the Europeans. They had
never before met with an animal like
MIN, although they lived within two days
Journey of one of the vast and almost
forests of Sumatra. They
seemed to think that his appearance ac-
counted for many strange noises resem-
bling screams and shouts and various
'ounds, which they could neither attrib-
lite to the roar Of the tiger nor the voice
# any other beast with which they were
amiliar. FRANK auckland, in Land and
Water.