The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-09-30
A QUEER ADVENTURE
BY CHAS. b. LEWIS.

WISH Inc lSldQuS 10 Tie uOTtU III SedTCI
of monkeys and parrots for the grea
animal dealer at Hamburg. The Graf
and crew were under charter for foul
months The captain was a Singa
pore half breed, and his three sailors
and cook were Borneo born. [ haC
my man Thomas with me and the
only cargo we carried consisted o.
cages and articles for traffic.
We had been knocking about fol
several weeks, landing ON several is
lands in the Borneo Sea to make cap
tives, and were at anchor beside a
small island called Kui, when a ira,
der from the Mindanao peninsula
came along and gave us some interest
ing news His craft carried only
three men, but had run short of water
and been obliged to out in at an island
thirty miles to the east for water
The island was about three miles
square and thickly wooded, and en-
tirely without settlement. While at
anchor in sheltered bay, and Just as
they had hoisted IN their cask of
water, they were set upon by several
hundred apes of large size and terri
bly, frightened. The craft was only
twice her length from shore. and the
apes bombarded her with clubs and
stones. A score of these missiles had
been preserved as proofs. The trader
gave us warning to look out for our
selves if we went that way, and we
made him present of tobacco and at
once sailed. The apes he described
were just the species | was looking
for, being what is called in the East
''gorillas' children" They are found
only in Sumatra and BorneO and on a
few Of the islands in Borneo Sea. 1t
is an established fact that every seven
years these apes are aubject to an epi
demic which sweeps them off in large
and for this reason they
nave been scarce for many years past.
In the year 1864 trader who landed
on the island of Kriem, about 200
miles from Manila, discovered over
500 dead apes along the beach We
reached the bay the trader had told
us of about 9 o'clock next morning.
The shore pitched off into deep water.
and we anchored with just room
enough for her to 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 to
use the yawl to go ashore. We neither
saw nor heard anything except the
gaudy. .colored parrots flying about,
and after we had been at anchor about
aD hour took my man and went
ashore. The island was perfect tan
gle. The trees grew almost as thick as
they could stand, and the ground was
covered with creepers and rank vege
tation. We were quarter of a mile
from the beach before the ground
cleared, and then we failed to get
sight of an ape. AS it was very hot
forenoon, the chances We're 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 quietly as
possible, 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. We set six of them opposite
the craft, and the only bait we used
was red rag tied to the catch. Go
ing on board we had dinner, and then
l brought out a heavy rifle and fired
three shots into the woods. That was
to wake up the apes, and 1t wasn't
ten minutes before we heard from
them. Shrieks and cries and calls re
sounded through the forest, and then
the apes fairly swarmed down to the
shore. The colored clothes angered
them to the highest pitch, and their
coming was like that of an enraged
mob of human beings. The advance
guard had scarcely appeared before
they rushed upon the traps in great
fury, and to their own great sorrow.
Every trap received a victim. and
every victim screamed and shrieked
and jumped about in the most excit
ing manner.
The number of apes dumfounded
me. l honestly believe there were
5000 of them, great and small, and
the noise they made was deafening
Their first move was 10 help the vic
TINS n the traps. They attempted
to pull them out by main force. and
when this failed they got stones and
clubs and tried to break the traps
They had neither the strength nor
the Ingenuity, and when they realized
this they turned to secure revenge OF
rs We had been expecting the
move, and were ready for it, or though,
we were. We had four guns on the
rail, bad covered the cabin skyligh1
with boards. and the decks were clear
for action. The tide was yet running
in. and, although we could almost looI
into the flashing eyes of the apes, W,
knew they dreaded the water an(
would hesitate to swim out to us
l don't know whose fault it wa
that the yawPs painter, which wa
made fast to the starboard rail arid
ships. was not secdrely fastened. n
one had given it any thought unit
we suddenly saw the pawl drive to th
mango bushes stern first. There wa
no surf in that little bay, and the tld
would have held her there if the ape
had taken no action The boat wa
no sooner within leaping distanc
than fifty of the animals sprang int
it, and as it reached the bushes it wa
held there. The screams and yells O
the apes for The next five minute
prevented speech. Then, at a give
signal. all but one leaped out of tn
boat At second signal ali those i
sight on shore disappeared, leavin
only the victims of the traps. Thes
had ceased their complaints and be
come quiet, and now a great stllnes
fell npon the island. l asked th
captain what new move he though
/ %h1 h,,.y, l. L