Wanderings in New South Wales, Batavia, Pedir Coast, Singapore, and China, Vol. 2 (of 2) : $b Being the journal of a naturalist in those countries, during 1832, 1833 and 1834Bennett, George
History
Wanderings in New South Wales, Batavia, Pedir Coast, Singapore, and China, Vol. 2 (of 2) : $b Being the journal of a naturalist in those countries, during 1832, 1833 and 1834
Bennett, George
Asia -- Description and travel; Natural history -- Australia -- New South Wales; New South Wales -- Description and travel
As this mode of treatment was far from being either amusing or
instructive to the monkeys, they assembled together in an _executive
council_, where it was determined, that in future the “big black
stranger,” who did not accord with them in proportions, and who demeaned
himself by walking erect, wearing no tail, and was in several other
respects guilty of unmonkey-like conduct, should be for the future
avoided and treated with contempt; and should he again think proper to
assault any of the body, they should all unite, and punish him for his
violent conduct. Ungka, when again he made any attempt to renew his
amusement of pulling tails, met with such a warm reception from all the
little creatures assembled, that he found it necessary to give up _tale
bearing_, and devote himself to other pursuits. He had, however, such
an inclination to _draw out tales_, that being obliged from “peculiar
circumstances” to relinquish those of the monkeys, he cultivated the
friendship of a little clean pig that ran about the deck, and, taking
his tail in hand, endeavoured, by frequent pulling, to reduce it from a
curled to a straight form; but all his efforts were in vain, although
piggy did not express any ill-feeling at his kind endeavours.
When dinner was announced by the steward, and the captain and officers
assembled in the cuddy, then Ungka, considering himself as also one of
the mess, would be seen bending his steps towards the cuddy, and entering
took his station, on a corner of the table, between the captain and
myself; there he remained waiting for his share of the food, considering
that we were all in duty and humanity bound to supply him with a
sufficiency of provender. When from any of his ludicrous actions at table
we all burst out in loud laughter, he would vent his indignation at being
made the subject of ridicule, by uttering his peculiar hollow barking
noise, at the same time inflating the air sac, and regarding the persons
laughing with a most serious look, until they had ceased, when he would
quietly resume his dinner.
The animal had an utter dislike to confinement, and was of such a social
disposition as always to prefer company, to being left alone: when shut
up his rage was very violent, throwing every thing about that was lying
near, or that he could move, in his place of confinement, but becoming
perfectly quiet when released. When the animal was standing with his back
towards the spectator, his being tail-less, and standing erect, gave him
the appearance of a little black hairy man; and such an object might
easily have been regarded by the superstitious as one of the infernal
imps.
When he walks, to use a nautical phrase, “he sways the body,” and
stepping at once on the whole of the under surface of the foot, occasions
a pattering noise, like that which is heard when a duck, or any aquatic
bird, walks on the deck of a ship.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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