The record-union., 1891-11-27

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taught to be of some service in the world.
We cannot but think that Professor
Garner is indulging in waste of human
energy. The same application he has
manifested in the novel pursuit, applied
IN direction that would aid his fellow
men, would produce results infinitely SUI
perior to any he can achieve in the at
tempt to make the monkey or any of its
related types useful to man. The nature
of the animal he cannot hope to change,
and, as we know it now, it is intractable,
opposed to useful application, and in ev-
cry respect wild and incapable of appre-
ciating civilizing influences.
However, it is but justice, after ex-
pressing these views, to give some idea of
Garner's scheme. He claims, for in
stance, that the gorilla has speech. His
intention is TO learn that speech. AS these
great apes are an elevated type among
the anthropoids, and are rapidly dimin-
ishing in numbers, he hopes to be able to
write their language before it becomes
extinct. From this basis he expects to
descend the line and find entry into the
vocabulary" Of the lower orders of the
monkey and ape family.
His plan is to go to the west coast of
Africa whence he will make his way into
the Gaboon country, where are vast for
ests, which afford a home to the greatest
number of gorillas to-day. He will take
with him large iron cage, constructed in
He will occupy this cage himself as pro-
lection from the gorillas. In it will be
arranged room in which he can sleep
and study and store his supplies. OF
course the cage when bolted together will
be massive affair, for the gorilla is of
enormous strength, and is very aggres-
siye. The cage will be placed in the
midst of the haunts of the gorilla, and
where the males nightly guard the trees
in which the females and the young re-
pose, and where he can overhear their
conversation" and observe the results in
action of the notes the animals produce.
If he is successful in getting hold of the
part in the conversation himself, and
by responses to the yells of the gorillas
gain an idea of their language.
But this is not all this eccentric scien-
tist proposes. He will carry with him
number of Photographs to record in visi-
bic characters the sounds the gorillas
make, that they may be reproduced and
studied in detail The knowledge he has
gained of the cries and calls Of monkeys
he anticipates will be of material benefit
to him in the attempt to fathom the 60
rilla method OF communication by
speech"
There are no monkeys in Africa, the
simian order there being represented by
the tailless apes, gorillas and chimpan-
ices, and both, Garner claims, are intelli-
gent in higher degree than we have been
giving them credit for; especially so are
the chimpanzees.
Gamers experimenting viii be watched
with an interest compounded of amuse-
ment and curiosity. That he will, oven
if successful, be able to convert the
knowledge he gains to any useful pur-
pose few if any men will believe, but he
may secure the assistance he wishes be-
cause of the curious and hazardous enter
prise in which he wishes to engage, and
which schemes generally receive assist
ance. He will probably fail to make
such analysis Of the cries of the animals
he is to study as will resolve them into
the order of language. 1t is not likely
that he will get beyond the line students
of natural history have already reached, to
wit: that beyond notes of alarm, cries of
fear and pain, and tones of call or coax
ing, there is not language among animals
of the class he is to study that is the We
hicle of ideas, and that even the sounds
we have named cannot rise to the dignity
Of language and are not the vehicles of
thought or the means to expression of
reason. But even if he dissipates this
accepted belief he will have not materi-
ally advanced the interests of the human
race, and no research in this day and age
is worthy that has not that end in view.