Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-08-08
HUNTING oRANG-oUTANGs.
Incidents Of n Chnse in ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Isiics o. the !" JunGie-nen."

to POST reporter Il was sent out In
1873 by Profes .or Ward, of Rochester,
On a tour around the world TO make
natural history collections. One OF
! the most impo tant objects of the
journey was to secure specimens OF the
orang-outang. We could not buy SKINS
or skeletons anywhere, and there was
no way TO get them except TO 60 after
them. | had no experience whatever
in orang-ousang hunting nor could l.
obtain any information on the subject
before starting. Nobody seemed TO
know whether they were abundant or
scarce but it was certain that they had
been obtained in Borneo and Sumatra.
Where they were once, / thought, they
are likely to be found again ; and 50 IN
| August | landed at. the iirst-named
island. ] went TO the territory OF Sara
wax on the northwest coast, and there
| ard that the objects of my search
were to be found in the valley of the
Sodong river. For this place started,
fully equipped to live in the jungle for
an indefinite length of time. Accom-
panied by two servants | penetrated
the interior. We made inquiries Of
the natives, and were told that the
orang .outangs were t. be found only in
the fruit season. which had then been
over some months, and they seemed
to have gone into the depths
of the forest. So we hunted over
the mountains and along the streams,
but without success, and finally came
to the conclusion that we would have
to give up. At that juncture two
natives came down little tributary of
the river and said that they had seen
miaS, which is the common name for
these creatures. and that, if | went up
to their village and stayed week or
two, might be able to kill three or
four. / packed up my things, got in
my boat, and went up there On the
way up the river killed three. When
reached the Dyak village | made
myself at home and devoted myself
entirely to hunting orang-outaGgs. In
two months | had killed forty-three,
number unprecedented in SO short a
time We found them only in the trees
along the river side The natives said
that the orang-outangs were subject to
feYers at that season, and came to the
river to get the cool breeze
WHAT are the principal features in
hunting orang-outangs, as you call
them?"
Suppose, as the best way of answer
ing that question" sad Mr.. Horna-
day, "that you and / start, some morn
ing, from the Dyak village, on trip
up the river after orang-outangs. You
will find our boat excellent for hunting
purp poses, being broad and fat-bot-
toned. One Malay is in the bow and
two in the stern. AS we proceed you
will notice that the trees on each side
are not lofty, but very dense. The
actual banks of the river are invisible,
for a cheveaux de frise of screw
pines grow far out into the stream,
and beyond them there is yet
vast extent of ground covered
with water. Presently some one
sees tree top moving. A moments
glance tells us that the quick motion
of the branches indicates monkey
and not the game we are looking for.
Il little further on, however, tree
top swings heavily to and fro. Now
we know that the gentleman whom we
have come to call upon is at home.
Quickly the beat is rowed as near the
tree as pc sible, and with my indispen-
sable field glass | try and locate him.
Then I fire, aiming for the breast or
bo6y-never for the skull, for that
would spoil the specimen. If wounae
mortally he will tumble down, but, if
not, we will hear him make off through
the woods Overheard we 60 into the
swamp, natives and all, and hurry after
him. My ammunition is waterproof,
an the wetting will not hurt it. After
chase | get another chance to fire,
and, if that brings him down, it is
only matter of time to wait until he
dies. We must not go near him until
he is dead, for we would speedily find
what strength the orang-outang has in
his hands and feet. \ on see that with
firearm' there is neither danger nor ex-
element. WheE the natives attack
these creatures with spears the case is
different; but even then the pictures
you see of an orang-outang defending
himself with club are pure magma
ton. They Cont do anything of the
kind
What are the characteristics of the
orang-outangs.
"They are solitary in their habits,
especially the old ones. Once | saw
four together, but that is an unusual
thing. Their homeis in the trees, and
they rarely descend TO the ground.
! 4 II. =