pass, without moving from the spot. Kees still persisted in his
intention, till we were almost out of his sight, when he found himself
at length compelled to dismount, upon which both the baboon and dog
exerted all their speed to overtake us. The latter, however, gave him
the start, and kept a good look-out after him, that he might not serve
him in the same manner again. In fact, Kees enjoyed a certain authority
with all my dogs, for which he perhaps was indebted to the superiority
of his instinct. He could not endure a competitor; if any of the dogs
came too near him when he was eating, he gave them a box on the ear,
which compelled him immediately to retire to a respectful distance.

"Serpents excepted, there were no animals of whom Kees stood in such
great dread as of his own species,--perhaps owing to a consciousness,
that he had lost a portion of his natural capacities. Sometimes he heard
the cry of the other apes among the mountains, and, terrified as he was,
he yet answered them. But if they approached nearer, and he saw any of
them, he fled, with a hideous cry, crept between our legs, and trembled
over his whole body. It was very difficult to compose him, and it
required some time before he recovered from his fright.

"Like all other domestic animals, Kees was addicted to stealing. He
understood admirably well how to loose the strings of a basket, in order
to take victuals out of it, especially milk, of which he was very fond.
My people chastised him for these thefts; but that did not make him
amend his conduct. I myself sometimes whipped him; but then he ran away,
and did not return again to the tent, until it grew dark. Once as I was
about to dine, and had put the beans which I had boiled for myself upon
a plate, I heard the voice of a bird, with which I was not acquainted. I
left my dinner standing, seized my gun, and run out of my tent. After
the space of about a quarter of an hour, I returned, with the bird in my