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
hand; but to my astonishment, found not a single bean upon the plate.
Kees had stolen them all, and taken himself out of the way. When he had
committed any trespass of this kind, he used always, about the time when
I drank tea, to return quietly, and seat himself in his usual place,
with every appearance of innocence, as if nothing had happened; but this
evening he did not let himself be seen; and on the following day, also,
he was not seen by any of us; and in consequence, I began to grow
seriously uneasy about him, and apprehensive that he might be lost for
ever, but on the third day, one of my people, who had been to fetch
water, informed me that he had seen Kees in the neighbourhood; but that
as soon as the animal espied him, he had concealed himself again. I
immediately went out and beat the whole neighbourhood with my dogs. All
at once, I heard a cry, like that which Kees used to make when I
returned from my shooting, and had not taken him with me. I looked about
and at length espied him, endeavouring to hi