his head with his hands, and laying it in his
chair. Poor fellow! we could have sympathized with him from our very
hearts--we mean teeth. Jerry's remains have been carefully embalmed, (we
hope in his favourite spirit,) and are now at the Surrey Gardens; where
the arrival of a living congener is daily expected. Meanwhile, will
nobody write the _hic jacet_ of the deceased? or no publisher engage for
his reminiscences? Mr. Cross would probably supply the skeleton--of the
memoir--not of his poor dead Jerry. What tales could he have told of the
slave-stricken people of the Gold Coast, what horrors of the slave-ship
whence he was taken, what a fine graphic picture of his voyage, and his
travels in England, _a la Prince Puckler Muskau_, not forgetting his
visit to Windsor Castle.
Baboons may be rendered docile in confinement; though they almost always
retain the disposition to revenge an injury. At the Cape, they are often
caught when young, and brought up with milk; perhaps Jerry was so
nurtured; and Kolben tells us, that they will become as watchful over
their master's property as the most valuable house-dog is in Europe.
Many of the Hottentots believe they can speak, but that they avoid doing
so lest they should be enslaved, and compelled to work! What a libel
upon human nature is conveyed in this trait of savage credulity. The
bitterest reproofs of man's wickedness are not only to be found in the
varnished lessons of civilization. Here is a touching piece of
simplicity upon which James Montgomery might found a whole poem.
Baboons, in their native countries, are sometimes hunted with dogs, but
their chase is often fatal to the assailants. Mr. Burchell tells us that
several of his dogs were wounded by the bites of baboons, and two or
three dogs were thus bitten asunder. A species of baboon common in
Ceylon, often attains the height of man. It is very fearless; and Bishop
Heber relates that an acquaintance of his having on one occasion shot a
young baboon, the mother came boldly up and wrested the gun out of his
hand without doing him any injury.
* * * * *
By way of pendent, we add the present state of THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY,
from the report just completed.
Gross amount of the income of last year L17,633[3]
Being an increase over the preceding year of 1,857
Receipts of four months of the past year 3,330
Receipts of corresponding months of the present
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