the malay archipelago-1-第12章

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e　different　varieties　and　species　of　both　sexes；　and　of　the　adult　and　young　animals。　In　all　these　objects　I　succeeded　beyond　my　expectations；　and　will　now　give　some　account　of　my　experience　in　hunting　the　Orangutan；　or　〃Mias；〃　as　it　is　called　by　the　natives；　and　as　this　name　is　short；　and　easily　pronounced；　I　shall　generally　use　it　in　preference　to　Simia　satyrus；　or　Orangutan。

Just　a　week　after　my　arrival　at　the　mines；　I　first　saw　a　Mias。　I　was　out　collecting　insects；　not　more　than　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　house；　when　I　heard　a　rustling　in　a　tree　near；　and；　looking　up；　saw　a　large　red…haired　animal　moving　slowly　along；　hanging　from　the　branches　by　its　arms。　It　passed　on　from　tree　to　tree　until　it　was　lost　in　the　jungle；　which　was　so　swampy　that　I　could　not　follow　it。　This　mode　of　progression　was；　however；　very　unusual；　and　is　more　characteristic　of　the　Hylobates　than　of　the　Orang。　I　suppose　there　was　some　individual　peculiarity　in　this　animal；　or　the　nature　of　the　trees　just　in　this　place　rendered　it　the　most　easy　mode　of　progression。

About　a　fortnight　afterwards　I　heard　that　one　was　feeding　in　a　tree　in　the　swamp　just　below　the　house；　and；　taking　my　gun；　was　fortunate　enough　to　find　it　in　the　same　place。　As　soon　as　I　approached；　it　tried　to　conceal　itself　among　the　foliage；　but；　I　got　a　shot　at　it；　and　the　second　barrel　caused　it　to　fall　down　almost　dead；　the　two　balls　having　entered　the　body。　This　was　a　male；　about　half…grown；　being　scarcely　three　feet　high。　On　April　26th；　I　was　out　shooting　with　two　Dyaks；　when　we　found　another　about　the　same　size。　It　fell　at　the　first　shot；　but　did　not　seem　much　hurt；　and　immediately　climbed　up　the　nearest　tree；　when　I　fired；　and　it　again　fell；　with　a　broken　arm　and　a　wound　in　the　body。　The　two　Dyaks　now　ran　up　to　it；　and　each　seized　hold　of　a　hand；　telling　me　to　cut　a　pole；　and　they　would　secure　it。　But　although　one　arm　was　broken　and　it　was　only　a　half…grown　animal；　it　was　too　strong　for　these　young　savages；　drawing　them　up　towards　its　mouth　notwithstanding　all　their　efforts；　so　that　they　were　again　obliged　to　leave　go；　or　they　would　have　been　seriously　bitten。　It　now　began　climbing　up　the　tree　again；　and；　to　avoid　trouble；　I　shot　it　through　the　heart。

On　May　2nd；　I　again　found　one　on　a　very　high　tree；　when　I　had　only　a　small　80…bore　gun　with　me。　However；　I　fired　at　it；　and　on　seeing　me　it　began　howling　in　a　strange　voice　like　a　cough；　and　seemed　in　a　great　rage；　breaking　off　branches　with　its　hands　and　throwing　them　down；　and　then　soon　made　off　over　the　tree…tops。　I　did　not　care　to　follow　it；　as　it　was　swampy；　and　in　parts　dangerous；　and　I　might　easily　have　lost　myself　in　the　eagerness　of　pursuit。

On　the　12th　of　May　I　found　another；　which　behaved　in　a　very　similar　manner；　howling　and　hooting　with　rage；　and　throwing　down　branches。　I　shot　at　it　five　times；　and　it　remained　dead　on　the　top　of　the　tree；　supported　in　a　fork　in　such　a　manner　that　it　would　evidently　not　fall。　I　therefore　returned　home；　and　luckily　found　some　Dyaks；　who　came　back　with　me；　and　climbed　up　the　tree　for　the　animal。　This　was　the　first　full…grown　specimen　I　had　obtained；　but　it　was　a　female；　and　not　nearly　so　large　or　remarkable　as　the　full…grown　males。　It　was；　however；　3　ft。　6　in。　high；　and　its　arms　stretched　out　to　a　width　of　6　ft。　6　in。　I　preserved　the　skin　of　this　specimen　in　a　cask　of　arrack；　andprepared　a　perfect　skeleton；　which　was　afterwards　purchased　for　the　Derby　Museum。

Only　four　days　afterwards　some　Dyaks　saw　another　Mias　near　the　same　place；　and　came　to　tell　me。　We　found　it　to　be　a　rather　large　one；　very　high　up　on　a　tall　tree。　At　the　second　shot　it　fell　rolling　over；　but　almost　immediately　got　up　again　and　began　to　climb。　At　a　third　shot　it　fell　dead。　This　was　also　a　full…grown　female；　and　while　preparing　to　carry　it　home；　we　found　a　young　one　face　downwards　in　the　bog。　This　little　creature　was　only　about　a　foot　long；　and　had　evidently　been　hanging　to　its　mother　when　she　first　fell。　Luckily　it　did　not　appear　to　have　been　wounded；　and　after　we　had　cleaned　the　mud　out　of　its　mouth　it　began　to　cry　out；　and　seemed　quite　strong　and　active。　While　carrying　it　home　it　got　its　hands　in　my　beard；　and　grasped　so　tightly　that　I　had　great　difficulty　in　getting　free；　for　the　fingers　are　habitually　bent　inwards　at　the　last　joint　so　as　to　form　complete　hooks。　At　this　time　it　had　not　a　single　tooth；　but　a　few　days　afterwards　it　cut　its　two　lower　front　teeth。　Unfortunately；　I　had　no　milk　to　give　it；　as　neither　Malays…　Chinese　nor　Dyaks　ever　use　the　article；　and　I　in　vain　inquired　for　any　female　animal　that　could　suckle　my　little　infant。　I　was　therefore　obliged　to　give　it　rice…water　from　a　bottle　with　a　quill　in　the　cork；　which　after　a　few　trials　it　learned　to　suck　very　well。　This　was　very　meagre　diet；　and　the　little　creature　did　not　thrive　well　on　it；　although　I　added　sugar　and　cocoa…nut　milk　occasionally；　to　make　it　more　nourishing。　WhenI　put　my　finger　in　its　mouth　it　sucked　with　great　vigour；　drawing　in　its　cheeks　with　all　its　might　in　the　vain　effort　to　extract　some　milk；　and　only　after　persevering　a　long　time　would　it　give　up　in　disgust；　and　set　up　a　scream　very　like　that　of　a　baby　in　similar　circumstances。

When　handled　or　nursed；　it　was　very　quiet　and　contented；　but　when　laid　down　by　itself　would　invariably　cry；　and　for　the　first　few　nights　was　very　restless　and　noisy。　I　fitted　up　a　little　box　for　a　cradle；　with　a　soft　mat　for　it　to　lie　upon；　which　was　changed　and　washed　everyday；　and　I　soon　found　it　necessary　to　wash　the　little　Mias　as　well。　After　I　had　done　so　a　few　times；　it　came　to　like　the　operation；　and　as　soon　as　it　was　dirty　would　begin　crying　and　not　leave　off　until　I　took　it　out　and　carried　it　to　the　spout；　when　it　immediately　became　quiet；　although　it　would　wince　a　little　at　the　first　rush　of　the　cold　water　and　make　ridiculously　wry　faces　while　the　stream　was　running　over　its　head。　It　enjoyed　the　wiping　and　rubbing　dry　amazingly；　and　when　I　brushed　its　hair　seemed　to　be　perfectly　happy；　lying　quite　still　with　its　arms　and　legs　stretched　out　while　I　thoroughly　brushed　the　long　hair　of　its　back　and　arms。　For　the　first　few　days　it　clung　desperately　with　all　four　hands　to　whatever　it　could　lay　hold　of；　and　I　had　to　be　careful　to　keep　my　beard　out　of　its　way；　as　its　fingers　clutched　hold　of　hair　more　tenaciously　than　anything　else；　and　it　was　impossible　to　free　myself　without　assistance。　When　restless；　it　would　struggle　about　with　its　hands　up　in　the　air　trying　to　find　something　to　take　hold　of；　and；　when　it　had　got　a　bit　of　stick　or　rag　in　two　or　three　of　its　hands；　seemed　quite　happy。　For　want　of　something　else；　it　would　often　seize　its　own　feet；　and　after　a　time　it　would　constantly　cross　its　arms　and　grasp　with　each　hand　the　long　hair　that　grew　just　below　the　opposite　shoulder。　The　great　tenacity　of　its　grasp　soon　diminished；　and　I　was　obliged　to　invent　some　means　to　give　it　exercise　and　strengthen　its　limbs。　For　this　purpose　I　made　a　short　ladder　of　three　or　four　rounds；　on　which　I　put　it　to　hang　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour　at　a　time。　At　first　it　seemed　much　pleased；　but　it　could　not　get　all　four　hands　in　a　comfortable　position；　and；　after　changing　about　several　times；　would　leave　hold　of　one　hand　after　the　other；　and　drop　onto　the　floor。　Sometimes　when　hanging　only　by　two　hands；　it　would　loose　one；　and　cross　it　to　the　opposite　shoulder；　grasping　its　own　hair；　and；　as　this　seemed　much　more　agreeable　than　the　stick；　it　would　then　loose　the　other　and　tumble　down；　when　it　would　cross　both　and　lie　on　its　back　quite　contentedly；　never　seeming　to　be　hurt　by　its　numerous　tumbles。　Finding　it　so　fond　of　hair；　I　endeavoured　to　make　an　artificial　mother；　by　wrapping　up　a　piece　of　buffalo…skin　into　a　bundle；　and　suspending　it　about　a　foot　from　the　floor。　At　first　this　seemed　to　suit　it　admirably；　as　it　could　sprawl　its　legs　about　and　always　find　some　hair；　which　it　grasped　with　the　greatest　tenacity。　I　was　now　in　hopes　that　I　had　made　the　little　orphan　quite　happy；　and　so　it　seemed　for　some　time；　until　it　began　to　remember　its　lost　parent；　and　try　to　suck。　It　would　pull　itself　up　close　to　the　skin；　and　try　about　everywhere　for　a　likely　place；　but；　as　it　only　succeeded　in　getting　mouthfuls　of　hair　and　wool；　i