Evidence as to Mans Place In Nature | Page 4

and it will be observed that they are
tail-less, long-armed, and large-eared; and about the size of
Chimpanzees. It may be that these apes are as much figments of the
imagination of the ingenious brothers as the winged, two-legged,
crocodile-headed dragon which adorns the same plate; or, on the other
hand, it may be that the artists have constructed their drawings from
some essentially faithful description of a Gorilla or a Chimpanzee. And,
in either case, though these figures are worth a passing notice, the
oldest trustworthy and definite accounts of any animal of this kind date
from the 17th century, and are due to an Englishman.
[FOOTNOTE] * REGNUM CONGO: hoc est VERA DESCRIPTIO
REGNI AFRICANI QUOD TAM AB INCOLIS QUAM LUSITANIS
CONGUS APPELLATUR, per Philippum Pigafettam, olim ex Edoardo
Lopez acroamatis lingua Italica excerpta, num Latio sermone donata ab
August. Cassiod. Reinio. Iconibus et imaginibus rerum memorabilium
quasi vivis, opera et industria Joan. Theodori et Joan. Israelis de Bry,
fratrum exornata. Francofurti, MDXCVIII.
FIG. 1.--SIMIAE MAGNATUM DELICIAE.--De Bry, 1598.
The first edition of that most amusing old book, 'Purchas his
Pilgrimage,' was published in 1613, and therein are to be found many
references to the statements of one whom Purchas terms "Andrew
Battell (my neere neighbour, dwelling at Leigh in Essex) who served
under Manuel Silvera Perera, Governor under the King of Spaine, at his

city of Saint Paul, and with him went farre into the countrey of Angola";
and again, "my friend, Andrew Battle, who lived in the kingdom of
Congo many yeares," and who, "upon some quarell betwixt the
Portugals (among whom he was a sergeant of a band) and him, lived
eight or nine moneths in the woodes." From this weather-beaten old
soldier, Purchas was amazed to hear "of a kinde of Great Apes, if they
might so bee termed, of the height of a man, but twice as bigge in
feature of their limmes, with strength proportionable, hairie all over,
otherwise altogether like men and women in their whole bodily shape.*
They lived on such wilde fruits as the trees and woods yielded, and in
the night time lodged on the trees."
[footnote] *"Except this that their legges had no calves."--[Ed. 1626.]
And in a marginal note, "These great apes are called Pongo's."
This extract is, however, less detailed and clear in its statements than a
passage in the third chapter of the second part of another
work--'Purchas his Pilgrimes,' published in 1625, by the same
author--which has been often, though hardly ever quite rightly, cited.
The chapter is entitled, "The strange adventures of Andrew Battell, of
Leigh in Essex, sent by the Portugals prisoner to Angola, who lived
there and in the adioining regions neere eighteene yeeres." And the
sixth section of this chapter is headed--"Of the Provinces of Bongo,
Calongo, Mayombe, Manikesocke, Motimbas: of the Ape Monster
Pongo, their hunting: Idolatries; and divers other observations."
"This province (Calongo) toward the east bordereth upon Bongo, and
toward the north upon Mayombe, which is nineteen leagues from
Longo along the coast.
"This province of Mayombe is all woods and groves, so over-growne
that a man may travaile twentie days in the shadow without any sunne
or heat. Here is no kind of corne nor graine, so that the people liveth
onely upon plantanes and roots of sundrie sorts, very good; and nuts;
nor any kinde of tame cattell, nor hens.
"But they have great store of elephant's flesh, which they greatly
esteeme, and many kinds of wild beasts; and great store of fish. Here is

a great sandy bay, two leagues to the northward of Cape Negro,* which
is the port of Mayombe. Sometimes the Portugals lade logwood in this
bay. Here is a great river, called Banna: in the winter it hath no barre,
because the generall winds cause a great sea. But when the sunne hath
his south declination, then a boat may goe in; for then it is smooth
because of the raine. This river is very great, and hath many ilands and
people dwelling in them. The woods are so covered with baboones,
monkies, apes and parrots, that it will feare any man to travaile in them
alone. Here are also two kinds of monsters, which are common in these
woods, and very dangerous.
[footnote] *'Purchas' note'.--Cape Negro is in 16 degrees south of the
line.
"The greatest of these two monsters is called Pongo in their language,
and the lesser is called Engeco. This Pongo is in all proportion like a
man; but that he is more like a giant in stature than a man; for he is
very tall, and hath a man's face, hollow-eyed, with long haire upon his
browes. His face and eares are without haire, and his hands also. His
bodie is full of haire, but not