The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-22
QUEER APE FROM BORNEO.
HE AK UPRIGHT LIKE a MAN AND
Is VERY CLEVER.

The stranger Came Here from Jav on the
Steamship Indrapi and Wont Through
Some Droll Antics Yesterday for the En-
tertainmsnt of the Marine Reporters.
A queer anthropoid from Borneo has Just
come to town on the British steamship In
drani. from java. Capt. T%heophilus Trotter
and Chief Engineer John Drew are the owners
Of the man-like creature. which they bought
from o Dutch woman OF Passoeroean, Java.
It came originally from Borneo three months
ago. The skipper and the engineer decided to
rechristen their new shlpmate Benjamin
Binns." after tho ghostly hero OF q song once
popular In cabin and forecastlo. The Dutch
woman had called BENJAMIN something that
only a real Dutchman can pronounce.
Capt, Trotter appeared at the Maritime Ex-
change yesterday. and announced that he be-
leved that BENJAMIN was the missing link."
A crowd of folks, including several reporters.
went over to the Indrani. which is tied up in
Atlantic Basin. to see Benjamin. The anthro-
biological expert in the group OF visitors said
that Benjamin was q fine specimen OF gibbon.
which the naturalists describe as the only
anthropoid ape that habitually walks In an up
right position"
Benjamin is somewhat less than three feet
tall, and is very thin. He looks in the face like
q weazened Dutchman OF black complexion.
and has q semi-circular fringe OF whiskers that
caused the chief engineer to liken him to "0om
Paul" He has no tail and he walks Just as the
naturalists say he does. His arms are very
long and thin and he uses them only in going
up or down stairs and in climbing. He is six
or seven years old. apparently. and has,a dis
position as gentle as q good baby. He doesn't
bite or scratch and seldom cries.,
him found him nsleep in the chief engineers
berth, lying almost, full length on his left side.
for Office in Bornso ali, his life,
1t was observed that he had a broad head,
Of forehead and Biz. black eyes. almost circular
f In sha Per,I HE Ipp% rp% 1 from It ths berth tn at FL, 2 T Scst
Drew held him by a light chain fastened about
his neck. He ran forward along the deck, throw
rapidly that Drew was forced into a run. The
ships cat Tillie and the dog Jack. a stout mon
jamin's chain to jacks collar. BENJAMIN
started aft: walking Iiks a LITTLE boy With ! nSw
About amidships Jacks, attention was drawn
BY one Of the visitors. and he stopped suddenly.
awhile.
FibH,on sWsp chain T9s made fSS d tsst x tG her ep the he
back. but she hadn't weight enough to anchor,
and whenever she attempted to do 80 she was
dragged forward unceremoniously.
After his exhibition as n leader Of animals,
BenJamin's collar was removed and he was
He ran forward and climbed up on
the bridge. much as n little hoy might, using
his arboreal Instincts by climbing stanchions
and clsmbeTing up the signal halliards, He
Rineer Drew. coaxed him down and let the
visitors see him drink Java coffee out Of q
saucer while he stood upright.
jamin. hut the price they offered was not salts
factory to his owners. Gibbons are seldom
seen hereabouts. Engineer Drew says Ben
jamin was the only one OF his kind in Java.