The state herald., 1890-12-26
MONKEYS IN sUMATRA.
REMARkAsLE VARIETIES SEEN
BY A TRAVELLER.


Al Eaglishman who spent some two
years In Sunatra, that country OF
which so little Is known, writes for
Chambers journal most entertain
ing account OF tho animals he saw
thore. OF monkeys, which throng
the land he s,ys tho commonest
species Is the black mdcaqie. but am
other. almost equally plentiful, Is the
pig-tailed macaquc, tho '.brok" OF tho
Malsys. This monkey is about the
size OF bull terrier. md at disi,nc
is not unlike one, from It's habitual
walk being on all-fours and Its general
dog-like carriage. This is, believe.
the most artful and intelligent OF ali
monkeys, and Is tho one trained by
the M.lays to gather cocoaruts and
durians. But, like ull their ri,co they
nre sPiteful. ''hnchancy'' brutes. and
never sale 10 handle. You can never
trust u monkey however tame he
appears. rs tho late Frank Bucklnnd
found TO his cost on moro than one
occasion. have several times cen
monkey. which after being som. time
in 6artipay had mnde au excursion In
TO tho jungle. set upon by his wild
relatives. and ignominiously hunted
back to the abodes OF men. don't
know how TO account for this. Did
they think that his morals or manners
had dctoriorn,ed in the society OF tho
nnthropolds who couldn't climb trees
and didn't know how TO screech'
Then there are the gibbons these
marvellous trapezo and Horizontal b
performers. with their almost bird-likc
flights from tree top 10 tree top. AMI
their chorus OF melancholy h'rtings
mt morning ami evening. only saw
ono specimen OF the siamang in cap.
livi;y, at the house Of II Malay chief ut
Sirdang. 1t was about 3 fc,t high.
but tho stretch OF its arms was over
. feet. A sal-ookin,. depressed crea-
ttiro IL seemed. as IL moved awkwardly
about the floor tripping Itself with L,
own arms; but once among the ralier3
OF the roof II moved with the agility
Of u spider. OF its gigantic rclutirc.
the orang-u,an, | am able TO givs t.
few particulars But may at leas,
observe that 1t is rather lnlivroas TO
any one who has n smaiterlDg OF the
Malay tongue 10 sec him so frequently
a, 1.,l ns.t. xVht.1t FH..f
literally "a man in debt utang being
in Malay debt" while "u,un" Is for
est or jungle. But always found tho
name incomprnhenslbl 20 the Dell
Malays. whose name for tho animal IL
'mewas.n The Sumatran specie, APP
pears TO DO totally different In IT, hlb-
its from that Of Bornco, which mp.
proaches human dwellings, aud even
plumbers gardens. In Dell, mt all
events. 1t inhabits only the denset rat
tan swamps, oil such u nature Tint amy
attempts at observation OF its hnbii1
would be impossible; anl it makes OF
instantly ut the approach of man. 1t
Is certain, however. that IL attains an
enormous size. fully cqualling the much
debated African gorilla. Those -peci.
mems which have reached Europe alive
are nero pigmlcs. have seen skins
In tho possession Of natives QBninl,s)
whose original owners must have been
something terrible 10 behold: one in.
deed could not hive been less thnn 0
feet high mud . across tho shoulders.
though the arms md legs had not been
preserved,
also saw Mt n Ba,as house skull
OF mowas, evidently II very old spec.
men. whose teeth and jaws were no
whit inferior in strength Ia that OF II
tiger. tried to buy 1t. bat The owner
would not part with H. md told long
story ms TO how II came into his pos
session. From his want OF front teeth
aud his defective Malay. he was nj.
most unin,eliigiblc; but made onl
that II had been slain either by hi.
father or grandfather. after II dcsper.
ate encounter; and, indeed. the decg
cuts In the bone must have been done
by n strong arm.
Ore or two small specimens | saw In
captivity. but they seemed TO have
less intelligence than any animal |
ever saw, and reminded mo In all their
actions OF Chinese coolies after mn over.
dose Of opium. II is very possible
that their cnptors ''hocusscd" them
with that or something similar To keep
them from escaping There /, II be-
lief among certain Of the Sumntrah
natives Of tho existence OF n creature
half npc. half demon, which feeds on
human hosh, and dceoys Its victims
Into the Jungle by Initiating tho
laughter OF women. What foundation
thcrc Is for this don't know probably
none, except tho cannibal practices OF
tho Bataks; but II Is not at all the
kind OF thing TO remember In the
depths Of those gloomy. nightmnrlsh.
swamp junglc.. with only two or three
chickcn.hcariod Jayanoso In company.
A. such limos tho sudden appearance
Of u full-sizcd mowns would be highly
calculated 10 "rlz tho bnr" for the mo.
mcnt, II not longer.
Tho igor IL plentiful enough, but II
10 not hold In much dread. Thoy hre
much moro frequent In the older sct.
tied districts than In virgin Jungle.
One reason for this IL that In Doll prop.
or whore tobacco planting Inns been
carried on for many years tho fields
which have boon planted. mud. m /,
tho practice. allowed To Ito fallow for
six or scvon years. have become cover
cd with dense growth OF hiiang or
sword grass. thus nnordipg Just tho
cover that tho tlgor likes. But though
their tracks mny DO found ihlclsly on
H., rnaas t.t .......uun 4 Ia.