The Irish standard., 1892-05-28
MONKEY TALK.
APES Said to Possess a Wide Range
of Speech.
An Expedition Planned by Band of Bor.
neo Orang-Outangs to Recapture
Kidnapped Comrade-A Sim
ian Council.

An Expedition Planned by a Band of Bor'
neo Orang-Outangs to Recapture
Kidnapped Comrade-A Sim
ian Council.
An old Indian soldier was trying to
prove that apes have language. He
said: II was travelling in Borneo with
party that was attacked one night by a
gang of orang-outangs. They num-
bered not less than fifty, and were all
males, and formidable fellows at that.
Each carried an enormous club made of
the hastily stripped bough of some
tree, and all were evidently wild with
some unusual excitement. 1t was
sight to make. anybody's blood run cold,
End am free to confess that mine did.
No mob Of lawless men ever looked one
half DIS fcrocious as did that advancing
company OF apes, crashing their teeth
in rage all the more alarming that it
was inarticulate. Their eyes flashed.
the grooming sound they made was ac-
companied by horrible display of
pointed, cleaning fangs, and that we
would be as infants in the grasp of
those powerful arms one had only to
look at them TO know. They were led
by gigantic fellow fully six feet in
height and looking more human than
many an Ethiopian have seen. They
came straight On, though from differ
ent direction from ours, and soon per-
ceived us in the branches of the tree.
Fl. raised his gun TO fire, when warned
him not to shoot for we were gone men
if we directed their rage to us. The
mass of the apes made break for us as
it was, but the leader paused as if puz-
zied. Seeing the others rush upon us,
he started forward, and, throwing up
one arm as a man might do, gave
hoarse call. The others gathered about
him in an instant, granting and evil
IDENTIFY demonstrating, but obedient.
cat last the leader dropped to all
tours and examined the ground with
great care, the others watching his
movements with the greatest possible
interest. When this was concluded the
big ape stood up and regularly harangued
the rest, and at last he seemed TO
convince them Of something, for they
all started off down the river with re-
newed enthusiasm, with one exception
This was evidently the doubling
Thomas Of the party, for leaving his
companions he ran back and club in
hand he began to climb the tree in
which II. and l were perched. Fl.
grabbed his gun and was about to fire
when Mutt begged him to wait until he
saw that the ape was bent on attacking
us, and the next moment we found that
this was good advice, for the old chap
was only DESTROYS of smelling us all
over it seemed. This he did thoroughly,
nosing each one of our party from head
to foot, tickling me in the ribs until
laughed uproariously in spite of Nuts
entreaties not to exasperate the ape,
but the old chap did not seem to take
my levity amiss, and only drew back to
look me in the face gravely, as if to
question what meant by such conduct.
When he had apparently satisfied HIM
self he dropped to the ground and ran
off to rejoin his companions, who bv
this time were nearly out of sight. BY
Muti's advice we scrambled down with
ali speed and took up our march The
moon was nearly setting now, how
ever, and it soon grew impossible for us
to go on, and we struck camp once
more, though the natives We're pushing
forward at all hazards. Something has
been stolen from the orang-outangs and
they are looking for it, said the men,
fear of the animals, and if they cannot
find the thief they will return and take
vengeance on u.s.
"Dawn was just breaking when we
heard the splash Of oars coming down
the river, and presently we saw a boat,
or rather a raft, coming down propelled
by four or five native oars1nen, and
with two other men on board. There
was also something chained to short
mast near the center. AS this raft came
in sight this something gave long,
melancholy cry, low and piercing,
which won instant reply from the shore
by perfect howl from the crowd of
apes we had encountered, which came
rushing out of the underground lining
the bank as if they had lain in wait for
the appearance of the raft The oars
AaSA, oSOAAASS 1AASAAAs oOoFHCA lN"luSs dIO
turning to the other men called to them
to unite the ape at the mast. This they
evidently refused to do, and the next
moment the foremost of the rescuing
party reached the boat and was just in
the act of leaping aboard when one of
the men struck at him with an oar He
fell back, but as he did SO twenty of his
mates sprang on, and rushing at the
fellow, struck him over the head with
their clubs. could see the blood and
brains spout six feet or more, and the
next moment the corpse, horribly mu-
tlated, was tossed into the stream.
1--WE looked to see the other men
killed also, but with great presence of
mind one of them ran, and cutting the
rope that held the captive, dragged it to
the edge of the raft and pushed it over
into the water: One of the apes saw it
as it struck, and instantly raised a cry