The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-08-31
MY PET ORANG-OUTAyG.


mems of ugliness. But never in all this
wide world of various races could q
human child compare i'll quaintness,
capacity for active mischief, and unmiti
gated homeliness, with the little orang-
outang baby which my Dyak hunters
one day captured for me in the jungles
of Bornean forest.
l had four little orangs in my posses
sion at different times during my stay in
Borneo. Two were exceedingly vicious
and tiger-like. The third was dull,
ugly and uninteresting little animal, but
the fourth was perpetual wonder to all
persons who saw him.
The Dyaks, who brought him to me,
had killed his mother, but had caught
him alive and unhurt. They brought
him in from the jungle bound hand and
foot, whining dolefully, and rolling up
his big brown eyes at me in mute appeal
for release.
Finding that he had no thought of
trying his teeth upon any of US, cut his
bonds, and without further ceremony he
crept into the straw had provided for
him and curled himself up.s
Although my baby orang was as far
from being beautiful as any healthy
child could be, his LONELINESS was inter-
esting; it seemed to conform to general
plan of ugliness, so that its unity was
complete.
Because of his shiny, bald head. his
solemn, wrinkled and melancholy visage,
his expression of profound gravity and
senatorial wisdom, we called him ''the
a nation rested upon his shoulders.
A. ban
some sly mischief, his big brown eyes
would light up with sudden interest, and
he would seem anxious to speak.
A thin growth of brick-red hair grew
straight up the back of his head and
over the crown, making a perfect halo
around his bald pate, reminding one
rather forcibly of certain pictures by the
old masters.
In height from head to heel he was
twenty-five inches; extent of outstretched
arms, thirty-seven inches. and weight,
fifteen pounds. As nearly as I could
estimate he was about four months old
when captured.
His body was short and thick, and
like all orangs his arms were 80 long that
by stopping forward trife his hands
reached to the ground. No orang-
outang can for a moment stand erect
without the aid of his hands, and in
walking the Old Man always went on his
tours, in half stopping posture, placing
his knuckles upon the ground instead Of
his palms.
His hands were quite human-like in
shape and his feet were also like hands
WAS Q novel sight to see him take O
banana in his foot, and hold it there
while eating it when his hands were
otherwise employed.
His breast was quite bare, but the re-
mainder of his body and limbs were Gov
cred with thin growth of straight red
hair. His skin was of q chocolate brown
color, and by reason of his daily bath
was always clean and sweet.
When the Old Man first came into my
possession he was rather shy and suspi-
cious; but by gentle treatmens and pa.
tent feeding soon won his confidence
and respect. At first he would not al
low me to hold him in my arms unless
would let him cling to post with one
hand or foot. The action plainly said:
ST like yon very we'll, but I'm not sure
You won't play joke on me and let me
fall"
M LIEU, uOWctCI, olt uROa P10u
which conquered his suspicion. made
him climb up to my shoulder for the be-
nanas, of which he was particularly fond,
and in very short time banana held al
arms reach above my head would start
him climbing up my body until the
tempting bait was reached.
He soon became SO fond of being in
my arms that when grew tired of hold
ing him he would grasp the folds of my
coat and hold self-quite an improve
ment upon the puny helplessness Of hu-
man infants.
Next to eating seven bananas at once,
his greatest delight wss in sitting lazily
in my lap while sat reading, writing OF
eating. He svinced . genuine native
curiosity in Watching my performances
Il table With knife, fork and spoon, and
it vas BY taking advantage Of this that
finally Taught him 70 eat cooked food.
For . tina he would ct nothing but
bannnas and pugar-cano and was q my
wits end 70 Ind Ont wy TO make him
ct boi1sd rice. One day, however, BE-
vs. sitting in my lap while / was ct din.
ner, and noticed that his eyes followed
the journeys Of my spoon with unusual
interest.
The longer he looked the more his In.
tersst increased, and seeing this began
to pes each spoonful Of rice close 10 hia
- ~, nina u u<><>~- 4