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

ne also learned TO eat With relish all
kinds of cooked meat, vegetables, bread
and canned fruits, and to drink tea,
coffee, milk and chocolate, in all Of
which he evinced the tastes of human
being ~except that he would not touch
spirAs, &ssr or wine.
M 10y soon grew fat and mischiev-
GUS, AID was always ready for lark
Many an absurd childish game we played
upon the f or in highly undignified fash
ion. Often the Old Man would enter
tain me for an hour at time, by making
most inexpressibly rye faces, perform
ing on a slack rope and going through
wonderful feats Of bodily contortion.
His specially" however, was making
wry faces. for which his expansive mouth
and wide. elastic lips seemed to have
been specially designed.
For over four months the Old Man
was my steady companion, and I never
weried of his company.
In travelling from one dyke village to
another. sometimes by boat and some
times through the forrest on foot, we al
ways took him with us. In our marches
through the swampy jungle, wading
throug mud and water half knee0 deep,
or climbing steep mountain sides, he re-
quired no attention, beyond being al
lowed to cling tightly to the folds of my
flannel shirt, with his legs and arms
partly clasping my body.
Occasionally he would snatch at o
passing leaf or twig in true childish fash
ion and he always watched the scenery
with great interest.
It was droll sight to see one of my
servants plodding along through the
forest, with the little red-haired and
brown-skinned orang-outang cIinging to
his body like parasite.
| In travelling through the tree-tops, all
young apes and monkeys cling to their
mothers bodies, holding on by the hair.
and so it came quite natural for my lit
tie protage to cling to US in like fashion.
| Naturally enough the little fellow was
always anxious to sleep with me and
whenever permitted him to do so his
happiness was complete. His favorite
position was to lie sprawliog upon my
chest, clasping my body with his out
stretched legs and arms, with his face
against my neck.
| Being as clean as any human being,
and without any odor of liquor or tobac-
co on his breath, he made o very agree
able bedfellow until he took to snoring
and sneezin8 so much as to seriously
disturb my slumbers, and it became ne
cessary for him to sleep by himself.
He exhibited fully as much intelli-
gence as any child ever saw less than
twelve months old, and displayed all the
human emotions Of affection, dislike.
fear, anger, cunning, playfulness and
even ennui.
He was usually very patient, but when
leased beyond endurance he would first
whine pitifully, but if the annoyance
continued he would throw himself flat
upon the floor, kick violently and scream
| like any spoiled child.
What he wanted and could not obtain
by coaxing he would scream for, and dis
cipline only caused him to scream still
louder. He was afsaid of strangers as a
rule, but decidedly attached to me and
my Chinese servant. When alarmed by
q large dog, violent thunder. or any
other cause, he would hurry to me and
climb with all possible haste into the
shelter of my arms.
He had one habit which revealed he
reditary instinct. Whenever storm
came up, the sky darkened and the rain
began to patter on the roof, the Old Man
would at once seat himself in his nest
and begin to pile handfuls of loose straw
or clothing upon his head as fast rs pos
sible
1t was amusing to see him do this when
under shelter; but it revealed the inter
esting fact that it comes natural to m
orang to pile green boughs upon his
head and shoulders to protect himseli
from the disagreeable dashing of the
rain-drops during shower. From this
habit has probably arisen the wonderful
stories of ''house-building" by the orang.
outang.
When we left the junglss Of Borneo
and went to Singapore. the Old Man eat
for his photograph.
In action be was human-like to start
ling degree. All that he lacked was
speech; and at times he seemed almost
ready to overcome even that drawback.
As was about to come home from the
East Indies during the winter, deter
mined to spare my jungle cherub the
miseries Of . cold voyage across the
Pacific, and perhaps frosty death.
sent him IS present to brother-natur'
alist in Southern India, who made 9
journey Of nearly 400 miles to meet him
ct Madras, and received him with oper
arms.
| A Natioa's Boarding schosl.
i Here are some of the echolaru. theiI