The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-23
AN APE HUNTERS STORY

| 49, - IL IL " ~ LIN ~ III O1b
| We sailed out from the port OF Borneo.
| in the island Of that name, in a schooner OF
ninety tons burden, To visit the islands TO
the north in search Of monkeys and parrots
for the great animal dealer at Hamburg.
! The craft and crew were under charter for
| four months. The captain was a Singapore
| half breed, and his three sailors and a cook
were Borneo born. had my man Thomas
| with me, and the only cargo we carried
consisted of cages and articles for traffic
We had been knocking about for several
weeks, landing on vAriods islands in the
Borneo sea TO make captives, and were at
anchor beside 4 small island called Kui,
when trader from the Mindsnao PENN
sula came along and gave as some interest
ing news. His craft carried only three
men, but had run short of water aDd been
Obliged to put IN at an island thirty miles
TO the east for water The island was
about three mikes square and thickiy wood
ed, and entirely without settlement
While at anchor in a sheltered bay, and
just as they had hoisted in their cask Of
water, they were set upon by several hun
dred apes of large size and terribly fright
from shore, and the apes bombaried her
with clubs and stones. A score of these
missiles had been preserved "a proofs. The
trader gave us warning to look out for our
selves il we went that way, and we made
him present of tobacco and at once set
sail. The apes he described were Just the
species was looking for, being what are
called in the east 'gorillas' children. :"
They are found only in Sumatra and Bor-
neo, and on few OF the islands in the Bor-
neo sea. IL is an established fact that
every seven years these apes are subject to
an epidemic which sweeps them of in
large numbers, and for this reason they
have been scarce for many years past. In
the year 1864 trader who landed on the
island OF Kriem, about 200 miles from Ma
nilla, discovered over 500 dead apes along
the beach.
We reached the bay the trader had told
US of about 0 o'clock nexs morning. The
shore pitched of into deep water, and we
anchored with just room enough for her 10
swing TO the tides. This brought the stem
of the craft within forty feet Of the trees
when the tide came in, but Of course we
had 10 use the yawl TO 20 ashore. We
neither saw nor heard anything except the
gaudy colored parrots flying about, and
after we had been at anchor about an hour
/ took my man and went ashore The
island was a perfect taDgle. The trees
grew almost rs thick "a they could stand,
and the ground was covered with creepers
and rank vegetation. We were "A quarter
of mile from the beach before the ground
cleared, and then we failed 20 get sight Of
an ape. As IL was a very hot forenoon,
the chances were that they were asleep in
the thick Of the forest. We had brought
along with us some pieces of cloth Of
various colors, and these we now hung on
limbs and bushes and scattered along on
the ground to bait" the apes to the land
ing
We had made our way "a quietly as posi-
bic. as ! fully believed in what the trader
had told me. When we had reached the
landing got my monkey traps from the
schooner. These are steel traps with padded
jaws. Weset six ofthem opposite the craft.
and the only bait we used was red rag tied
TO the catch Going on board we had dinner,
and then | brought out a heavy rife and
fired three shots into the woods. That was
to wake mp the apes. and IL wasn't ten min
utes before we heard from them. Shrieks
and cries and calls resounded through the
forest and then the apes fairly swarrned
down 70 the shore The colored cloths an
gercd and excited them 10 the highest pitch,
and their coming was ike that Of an en-
ragged mob Of human beings The advance
guard had scarcely appeared before they
rushed upon the traps In great fury aud 20
their own great sorrnw Every trap -
ceived victim. and every victim screamed
and shriekcd and Jumped abort in the most
exciting manner.
The number Of apes dumfounded me.
honestly believe there were 500 of them,
great and small, aud the noise they made
was deafeuinE. Their first move was 70
help the victims ia the traps They al
tempted % pull them ont By main force,
and when this faiiei they got stones and
clubs and tired "a break tbs traps They
had neither the strength nor ingenuity,
and when they realized this they TUNED
70 secure revenge on rs. We bad been ex-
pocting the move. and were ready FOR Il.
or thought va werr We had four guns
on the rail. had covered the cabin sky-
hight with boards. and the decks were
clear for action. TIE ride was get running /
IN, and. although we could almost look |
into ths flashing eyes ~ me aT,es, we knew \
they dreaded yTater and would hesitate 70 I
swim on, - u.s.
I don't know who's faulf IL VIA THAI the |
yawgs paiuter Th5ch Wa made fast 20 \
tie stErioard rail- sriishiT&. Wa not ~ I
-u7ely fastened W ote Z 81 gfven IL any /
thought until re kuddeniy szw tue yzwl I
irive - tie tnshGo busies stsFs Bra. 4
TIER ~ 70 err 81 fsas ilrsse tssF. 1sd I
be tide roaid have Rid her thsrsff sks |
sp<s had taken 10 aetlou. The tosi WA no
'oone- withia laartnz distance tnaa Gfry /
= tie arinlais srrasg into Il. AID "a u /
cached tns blsaes IL p'ls hsld there The 4
.cfeaEls az yslls ofths ap~s for TIE rext i
I've minutes prevented spa~cA Thea ~
giveu signal al b.; che lsape1 out Of The
"a: ~ 3 seeood signas al those IN sight 4
~ shore dtsappeare1. leaving oniT tie vie /
irls q the trap T1sse had CEASED their
complaints and become gZlss. sod nc~ .
,reAf stllnsss fell rPoa Tie asi4ad.
-skea the captain what urE EoTs be
hoag1f ias Lezsss Attended - raake, All I
- replied
Il think rrs saaH hare a7ezt frgsh1s Nth
49, &C., 49, A~@--- .u-.a--- 49,