A description of the nature of four-footed beasts with their figures en[graven in brass] / written in Latin by Dr. John Johnston ; translated into English by J.P.

CHAPTER III. Of the Baboon, or Bavian.

HE takes the name of Cercopithecus from his tayl,* 1.1 for Kerkos signifies tayl, and Pithekos Monky, or Ape. The Greeks call him also Kepos, which some fetch from Kebos,* 1.2 Nimble. Albert calls him Mamonet; the Italians Spinga; the Celtae Abranas.* 1.3 We shall describe him anone under the kindes of Aurelius delineates his Genitalls. They are found in Aethiopia with black heads,* 1.4 and Asses hair, and in the woods of Iava, and the kingdome of Congo; and in India on the Emoden hills, and on that lofty mountain near Aden a city of Arabia, and all about the Indian Continent. In Malabar they are very cheape, because they hurt the Indians Nut, that is the gain of the natures. They eat any thing, and gnaw their own tayl when they are lustfull. They abhor Crocodiles so, that they are almost strooke dead with the sight. In East-Indies, under the Portugals, they eat them, and use them in Physick. What sport they make is well knowen. Their bones brayed, and drunk by provoking sweat, ease the French pox. They dote on their young,* 1.5 and hugge them hard; they feed on fruit, and birds egs. Many of them eats and drink their own excrements. Sometimes, if they see a man alone, they come down, and play with him. They are full of crafty tricks. It is strange to see how they cast stumps of trees at passengers; they passe rivers holding by each others tayls, and get over by bows, and a chain by wondrous arts. Above all, if one of them be wounded by an arrow, or dart, no men can help one another better then they, knowing how to stanch the blood with leaves, and mosse, and save, if possible, the life. They bring but one at a birth, and embrace their young, and carry them to the craggy tops of hills, where the huntsmen raise a heape, and compasse it with maiz, and lay there the stone Cacakoatl, the nature whereof is, when heated through with fire to crack, and fly asunder, the Baboone run to it, and to eat of that stone, but terrified with the crack, forget their young, and run away, leaving them a prey to hunters. They carry also their young on their back, till they can safely dispose of them. The young hang with the hands about the dames neck, and with the legs cling about her back. Some are nimble as a bird in climbling trees, and scip∣ping from tree to tree. One hath been seen to leap a river. The captains of them perceiving a troup of men passe by, (for men dare not passe by them alone, nor a few) they call their fellows of divers shapes together, out-face the men, and with hideous moyse skip from tree to tree, and follow the men, mocking them with a thousand Apes tricks, moppings, mow∣ings, waggings of the tayl, and make as if they would assault them; but coming down, and see the arrows, and guns, (which they have had

occasion afore to be acquainted with,) aimed at them, they fly swifter then the wind to the tree-tops, where they complain, chatter, and threaten. It is said, they are so dexterous, that they can decline, and avoid arrows-shot, and catch them flying, as if they were reached to them; but the bullets put the younger be∣side their skill. When they see any of their fellows fall, and taken up by the shooters, they thunder above, filling the skies with hideous noyses; as if you heard the roarings, and yel∣lings of a thousand Lions, and Tigers. But one thing is worth hearing; each Ape, when they take a tree, carry up stones in one hand, and some in their mouths, and pelt the pas∣sengers, when they have done shooting. One levelling at a great, long-tayld Monkey with a gun, hee made as if hee would stand it; but when the man winking with one eye, was taking aime, he threw a stone in his face, and brake it, and dashed out some of his teeth. But since he perished by a new stratagen, and was shot, just as the stone fell, and was eaten for a dainty with mirth. Some would have eaten then toads, or worse, so hungry they were. Such tricks perswaded the old world, that these were a humane race, which occa∣sioned in fables, mention of the Baboons birth-day. I thought once that they were happily a kind of Pigmees. It is strange how they can handle merchandise. They play with the savages for mony,* 1.6 and winning, invite to the Tavern, and pay the shot. Among the souldiers of Havana, a Baboon marked that one won apace, and sate close to him, to have his share, according to the manners; if he de∣nied, he would fight for it; if he received it, hee ran strait to the Taverne, and tooke a pot,* 1.7 holding it to the vinter, to poure wine; the pot being brimfull, he drank it up, payed his winnings; if it came to more, he expected more wine to the value, which he did twice, or thrice.

Another being sent to the Taverne, and not using to pay till hee had his bottle full, would gather stones to defend it against the boyes; and though he loved wine well, he carried it safe and entire to his Master. He could not abide painted women,* 1.8 but tore their hair and cloathes. One great Baboon, with an extreme long tail hanging by it, on an Oke, turning and swing himself three or four times, caught hold, skipped from bough to bough, and from tree to tree, as if he had flowen. An Archer shot one, who being wounded, in a fury set on him who hurt him; he drawing his sword, cut off the Baboons arme, and took him, but strong∣ly resisting; but being brought to the Navy, he grew tamer, being chained: and the hunts∣men bringing a Boar home, he and the Ba∣boon were ever fighting; this with his tail tangled the Boar, flew at his throat, and throat∣led him. Another seeing some hunt after him to shoot him, got into a window, snatched up an Infant,* 1.9 ran to the house top, and held the child for a buckler between him and the Arch∣er, to make him hold from shooting. Baboons differ in bignesse, colour, tail, and otherwise, some in Prassiana an Indian Region, are as big as the greatest Dogs, having tails five cubits long.* 1.10 Some are black, some ash-coloured, some gray, some party-coloured, some spot∣ted, some yellowish, some dusky, &c. Some longer tailed then others. Some bearded; some go upright; some Lyon-like; some mostac∣cioed; some of a mixt kind. The bearded, the Brasilians call them Guariba,* 1.11 are manifold, having a round goats-beard, they are as big as our Foxes, high-browed, with black sparkling-eyes, ears short and roundish; tail long, bare at the end, which they are ever swinging about; the hair black, long, sleek, and shining. There are swarms of them in the Woods there, and make a hideous noyse. They meet daily again, and again afore and after mid-day.* 1.12 One of the lesser sits higher then the rest in the midst, and begins a singing note, giving a signe with the hand openly, the rest follow his note, holding on till the first makes a signe, then the rest are husht in a twinkling, and the first concludes aloud. They carry their young on their back, frisking from bough to bough. It is a biting and untamed beast. Some of them are great, and black, having a long, black, shaggy beard. If they find a Moor woman alone, they force her. Clusius describes a kind, long tayled, with a tuft at the end, like a Lion. The Guinee Exquina in Congo hath dark hair, as it were burnt, sprinkled with white tops. The beard very white, the hair two fingers long, as it were kemed. Anger him, he gapes wide and chat∣ters. Another sort is as great, or each cheek stone of hair white, and yellow, bearded like a Goat, reaching to either eare; black leged: Toyish, and clamorous as the other. Ambro∣sine represents three prints of them; one he conceives to be the Callitriche (or fair-haired) living only in Aethiopia. A second a kin to that. The third faced like an old man (a Marmoset) with a long black tayl.* 1.13 He walks upright, very nearly resembling a man. He loves boys, and women everywhere, and if he get loose, endea∣vors to ly with them. Industrious they are, and wittier then some men. Of the Lion-kind are first the Cagui, as the Brasilians, or the Pongi, as the Congians call him; one is greater, like the Baboon,* 1.14 called Cay, round, and Lion-faced, black and bald-eared, Lion-mouthed, black-eyed, the tayl a foot, and four fingers long, and reddish. There is a lesser, a like faced, but with a lesse head, like a small apple, a little nose, sharp teeth, roundish eares, the tayl ten fingers long, with white, and dusdish ringlets, fed with bread, and mandos meat. The whole body six figners long. Another sort is called the Sagovin;* 1.15 Lion-like afore, but so tender, that he brooks not the tossing of a ship at sea, and so proud withall, that never so little troubled, he in ••ullennesse starves himself. That that Rod. Lincius brought over was lesse then a squirell,* 1.16 and so dainty that it must be kept in furre. The snout, and fore part of the head was Lion-like,

dark-coloured, mixt with red; the ears shaggy, and bright, and reddish; the throat, and breast shaggy, dush, and white; the other hair of the body black, and white, and sparkling, and party-coloured from back to belly; the tayl long, and so coloured; the belly black-haired, the thighs white, and red; on each foot five toes, not very long; the nayls white, scarce a handsomer to be seen. The Moschatus the Brasilians call Caitaja, long-haired, white, and yellow;* 1.17 roundish headed, low fore-headed, nose little and flat; tayl-bending, shrill voyced, and pettish. I saw one at Generall Warden-burgs at Amsterdam. There is another of the kind darker-haired, like the Zobellines. Of a doubtfull kind are the Macaquo in Congo; of a wolfs colour; the nose high and parted, the head like a bears, buttocks bald, the tayl bow∣ed; a foot and somewhat more long from head to tayl; a foot and nine fingers thick. Hee cries Hah, hah: the Brasil Cay in Toupinambuti is common, little and black,* 1.18 living most in the woods, and sitting on certain trees, where on a thick mast grows, like our greatest beans, whereon they feed. There is also another Gui∣nee Baboon, grisly, dusk-shadowed with yel∣low, almost like a hares back, small-headed, and long-tailed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Names 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.4

  Ambro••••. lib. 2. c. 6. Place. Strabo. Geog. Plin.
• * 1.5

  Nature. Nierem. H. I. l. 9. c. 44.
• * 1.6

  Ioh. Ard. no••s.
• * 1.7

  Ios. A••osta.
• * 1.8

  P. Mar∣tyr.
• * 1.9

  Aelian. l. 7. c. 20.
• * 1.10

  Scaliger.
• * 1.11

  Marck∣grave. H. N. Brasil. l. 6. c. 5.
• * 1.12

  Marck∣grav.
• * 1.13

  Gesner.
• * 1.14

  Marckg.
• * 1.15

  Nierem.
• * 1.16

  Nierem∣berg.
• * 1.17

  Marckg. H. Bras. p. 227.
• * 1.18

  Lerius. H. Ame∣ric. c. 10.