62 BORNEO^—THE ORANG-UTAN. [ c h a p M
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 Orang-utan.
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 till 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 itselt
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 halfgrown,
being scarcely three feet high. On April 26th, I
c h a p . iv.] STRENGTH OF A WOUNDED ORANG. 63
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 2d, 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