The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-06-02
MONKEY TALK.
Apes Said to Possess O Wide Range
Of Speech.
An Expedition Planned by II Band of Tor
oco OranG-Outangs to Rccnpture II
kidnapped Comradc-A SIM
Ian Council

Ian Council
An old Indian soldier was trying to
prove that apes have n language. lie
SAID: II was travelling in Bornco with u
party that was attacked one night by q
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 n
sight 10 make anybody's blood run cold.
ard am free to confess that mine did.
No mob of lawless men ever looked ono
half as fcrocious as did that atlyancinr
company of apes, gnashing their teeth
ln,a rage, all the more alarming that it.
was inarticulate. Their eyes flashed,
the grolning 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
camc straight on, though from n differ
cnt direction from ours, and soon per-
ccivcd us in the branches of the tree.
III. 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 lis rs
1t was, but the leader paused as if nuz-
zlcd. Seeing the others rush upon us.
he started forward, and, throwing I'D
one arm as man might do, gave a
hoarsc call. The others gathered about
him In an instant, granting and evil
IDENTITY demonstrating, but obedient.
AT last the leader dropped to all
fours 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 IL. and l were pcrched II.
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 chan
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
entrcaties 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, us il To
question what meant by such conduct.
When he had apparently satisfied him.
self he dropped to the ground and ran
or to reJoin his companions, who bv
this time were nearly out of sight. BY
Nuts advice we scrambled down with
all 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 were pushing
forward at all hazards. Something has
been stolen from the orang-outangs and
they are looking for it, said the men,
who seemed to have an overwhelming
fear of the animals, and if they cannot
lind 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 oarsmen, and
with two other men on board There
was also something chained to n 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
men. seeing them, stopped rowing, and
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 rcscuinp
party reached the boat and was lust 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. I could see the blood and
brains spout six feet or more, and the
next moment the corpse, horribly mu-
tilated, 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