particularly to what is said of its attributes, as examined by Adam Clarke,-"Now the Nachash was more subtle, more wise, and prudent, than any beast of the field, [or earth] which the Lord God had made. In this account, we find, First: that whatever this Nachash was, it stood at the head of the whole animal creation, for wisdom, subtilty, and understanding. And Second; that it walked or went upright; as this is necessa rily implied in its punishment:-'on thy belly shalt thou go:' i. e. on all fours, like other quadrupeds. Could this have been said of a creeping serpent, or reptile, of any kind, as none of them ever did, and never could walk erect, as they have no means, by which they could have thus made progress over the ground? If therefore, the animal was a snake, a creature which had crept along on the ground from its creation, it could have been neither curse nor punishment, for them to go on their bellies, as they had always done, and must do while the race endures."

In the motions of a serpent, there appears to be no kind of inconvenience; as it glides rapidly and secretly on its way, however rough and uneven it may be, or dangerous to other animals that have legs, on which account, the creature is most evidently better commoded, than if it had not been cursed. How could legs be placed upon a serpent ten, twenty, or eighty feet in length, as some are known to be, so as to be of use to the reptile. Four legs, as quadrupeds have, could not be placed in such a manner, as to prevent the sagging down to the ground of all that part of a long serpent's body, situated between those legs: unless a muscular power had been conferred upon them, so as to enable them to describe an arch from the place where the legs might be inserted, sufficient to prevent their bodies from being exposed to so great an inconvenience, as that of sweeping the ground between; as a muscular power sufficient to enable a long snake to keep itself in a horizontal line, would be unnatural, and monstrous,requiring the creature's whole strength, to perpetually maintain this position; and besides, this together with the legs, would entirely destroy the fine evolving motions of the serpent; and annihilate the identity of the creature altogether: so that if this were the case, we should have no snake at all. The serpent has no organs of speech, nor any kind of voice, as all other animals have, but can only hiss. There is however, one exception to this trait of the history of serpents, and this is concerning the crested Basilisk of India, which, it is said, has a very loud and horrid ery, of which we shall soon give a more full account.

On account of the evident want of capacity in the serpent to answer the creature of the text, "we are obliged," says Adam Clarke, "to seek some other creature, to designate the Nach-ash, rather than the common snake, as generally believed, which on every view of the subject appears inapplicable." We have seen,

according to the above writer, that one of the ideal meanings of the root of all these words, namely, Cha-nass, is, to seduce and deceive; and that K-ha-nas, or K-ha-noos means the devil, a wicked supernatural spirit, in the Arabic, and was that spirit who seduced Eve from God and truth, and then departed from his disguised and hidden condition, no more to appear in that form. "It therefore appears that a creature of the Ape species, is intended instead of a snake, and that Satan made use of the former, as the most proper instrument for the accomplishment of his murderous purposes, against the life and soul of man."

The creature, whatever it was, according to the text, stood at the head of the whole animal world, and as the Ape genus, are known to be more cunning, and subtle, than any other beast of the field, we are justified in selecting the Orang-outang, as the identical creature, which Satan made use of on the occasion of Eve's ruin; because the Orang-outang stands at the head of the whole simia race, and is in this way proven to be the subtilist, or most intellectual animal of the whole creation-man alone excepted. "It is evident," says Clarke, "from the structure of the limbs of this creature, that it originally went upright, like a man, and that nothing but a sovereign controlling power, could have induced it to put down hands, which in every respect are formed like those of man, and compelled the race to go on all fours, like those animals which have hoofs and paws, instead of hands."

If it is objected to this, that the Orang-outang, in its natural state, goes erect, even now, and therefore cannot be the creature, intended in the text of Moses, we have it to reply, that the erect position of the animal is assumed but occasionally, and is evidently a labored action, resorted to only when the creature is forced to it, as in descending a steep place, being pursued, or when it fights in close combat. But as much can be said of a dog, or a bear, which frequently fight standing on their hinder legs; and the latter can even run in that position, and no one ever thought of believing that bears go erect naturally and of choice, when not compelled by some unavoidable reason. The Orangoutang is an animal, which approaches very near in form, to our race, differing in conformation, only in the creature's having two vertebra, or joints of the spinal bone, less than man,—and in its feet being hands, with a thumb on each, as well as its hands; by which we perceive the creature, says Dr. Clarke, was at first adapted to climbing, as well as to walking or running upright; the former of which, that of climbing, they yet retain, and excel all other animals, dwelling when they please, in the tops of the thick forests of India. No man can view an animal of this kind, especially the Pongo Orang-outang, and not be impressed with a feeling of certainty, of its intellectual approach to the human species, above all other creatures. But when it acts, its subtilty,

cunning, and intellectual condition, is at once perceived, still more than at rest; as there is a steadiness in its manner of contemplating objects, a readiness, and aptitude to learn, and to seem to comprehend, when instructed, as is evident to all who have witnessed their exploits; even the common Ape,-a creature, much below the Orang-outang in intellectual endowments, an animal of the same genus, will do astonishing feats of horsemanship, and other imitations of human performances, at the word of command, or bare signal of its master, as is often witnessed in the menageries of the country.

Of this creature, the Orang-outang, naturalists relate, that in their native woods, in a wild condition, some of them are very large and strong, exceeding by a considerable amount, the ordinary size of men, being sometimes found full six feet in height, when stretched up erect, being very savage and fierce, often killing the negroes, when they happen to meet in the forests of Africa, and places where they are found. They are more than a match for the elephant, as they can hurl stones and clubs with great violence and precision, with infiiate grimmace and horrid gestures, so that the elephant is glad to escape so crafty an enemy. At the time when Alexander the Great was in India, where he had been led on by his love of war he met a host, or small army of Orang-outangs, and from their formidable appearance, naked, hairy, horrible, and menacing attitudes, he was induced to make ready to give them battle, in case they came too nigh; but whether a fight took place, is not related by the historian. But Hanno, the Carthaginian general, having met with a similar encounter, on an island near the coast of Africa, did in reality, not only make ready his men for the battle, but actually fought a small army of these creatures,-whose clubs and stones were found insufficient to cope with the spears, slings, and swords of Hanno's soldiers: fell therefore, in great numbers: and being frightened by the yells of the army, and sound of the drums and trumpets, fled to the forests, leaving to the Carthaginians the field and the victims. Several of these Hanno caused to be skinned, salted, sewed up, and stuffed with dry grass, and conveyed to Carthage, where they were placed in the temple of Juno, queen of heaven, and were found there, when that city was taken by the Romans. Amer. Enc. vol. 26, letters ORA.

From these accounts, we see this creature is capable of plotting and making resistance in defence of its native haunts, in a manner very much resembling the actions of men, even acting in concert. No mere animal can ascend as high in cultivation as the Orang-outang, their memories being exceedingly retentive, much more so, than any other beast of the creation.

In proof of this, we give the following accounts. There was an Orang-outang, carried from some part of Africa, in a Dutch

vessel to Holland, which, while on board, fell sick. The physician of the ship, took it in his head to bleed the creature, the same as he would a man; after which, it grew better and soon recovered. But what was their surprise, when, before the voyage was finished, the Orang-outang, on again feeling itself in pain, from ill-health, went to the men, making signs to be again bled in its arm, remembering the ease it experienced from the former operation. Is not this a proof, that the animal has in a wonderful degree, the power of reflecting, and of combining circumstances, so as to make deductions, approaching very near to that of man,-falling short however, of absolute moral capacity.

A traveller in the island of Java, a tropical country, situate at the southern extremity of the Chinese sea,-relates, that he saw there, a female Orang-outang, which was so well educated, that it made its own bed, as a human being would, and then laid down upon it, with her head upon the pillow,-which was stuffed with straw, or dry grass,-covering up her body with the quilt; this she did at night, when she desired to sleep. When her head ached, she would tie a handkerchief round it, having been instructed to do so by the person who owned her.

Vosman gives an account of one of these animals, which was brought to Holland, in 1776, and presented to the Prince of Orange. It was about two and a half Rhenish feet high. In its manners, it was grave and melancholy. It was exceedingly fond of the company of man. When company-which often visited it-retired, so that it was left alone, it would throw itself on the ground, making lamentable cries, showing all the signs of grief and despair, a human being could-speech alone excepted. When the keeper appeard, it seemed comforted, and would make signs for him to come close by, shaking up, and spreading out the dry grass of its bed, for him to sit upon. It used the fork and spoon, in eating, in the same manner men do, to convey food to the mouth, as if it were a human being.

"There is even now, in the Museum of Natural History, in Paris, a young Orang-outang, brought from Sumatra. This not only possesses great docility, but seems to understand many the feelings and actions of man; he is sensible of reproof, and sheds tears and pants when scolded, as a child would do. He imitates with great skill what he sees done, and even invents appropriate means, well fitted to attain his ends, when he meets with obstacles. For example, when he was unable to catch a little dog, more nimble than himself, which had been placed in his room as its companion, and found himself worsted in the pursuit, he seized upon the end of a rope, suspended in the middle of the room, and swinging, leaped in every direction, till he caught the dog. At another time he tried to open the door, as his master had done, with the key: but having put the wrong

end of it into the lock, he soon however, perceived the mistake, took it out and put in the other end.

In the year 1817, there was brought by a Doct. Abel, from Java to England, an Orang-outang; the account of which, we here extract from the Penny Magazine, vols. 1 and 2, page 157, for the year 1832, as follows: "The Orang-outang, on his arrival in Java, was allowed to be entirely at liberty, till within a few days of being put on board the Cæsar to be conveyed to England, and whilst at large, made no attempt to escape; but became violent, when put in a large railed bamboo cage, for the purpose of being conveyed from the Island. As soon as he felt himself in confinement, he took the rails of the cage in his hands, and shaking them violently, endeavored to break them in pieces, but finding that they did not yield, generally; he then tried them separately, and soon discovering one weaker than the rest, worked at it constantly, till he had broken it out and made his escape. He was again captured, and taken on board the ship, where an attempt was made to secure him to a strong staple by a cord, which he instantly untied with his fingers, as readily as a man could have done, and ran off with the chain dragging behind; but finding himself embarrassed by its length, he coiled it up and threw it over his shoulders. This feat he often repeated; and when he found it would not remain on his shoulders, he took into his mouth. They now allowed him freely to wander about the ship, as he showed no disposition to leap overboard, and soon became familiar with the sailors, greatly surpassing them in agility. They would often chase him about the rigging, which gave him frequent opportunity of displaying his ability in managing to get away from them. On first starting he would endeavor to outstrip his pursuers by mere speed, but when hard pressed, would elude them by seizing a loose rope, and swinging out of their reach. At other times he would patiently wait on the shrouds, or at the mast-head, till his pursuers almost touched him, and then suddenly lower himself to the deck by any rope, that was near him, or bound along the mainstay, from one mast to another, or swinging by his hands, moving them one over the other, the same as a man would do. When in a playful humor, he would often swing by some loose rope, within arms' length of his pursuer, and having struck him with his hand which was at liberty, would throw himself from him, with all the alertness and sport of a human being. He commonly slept at mast-head, after wrapping himself in a sail; in making his bed, he would use the greatest pains to remove every thing out of his way, which might render the surface on which he intended to lie, uneven; and having satisfied himself with this part of his arrangement, would spread out the sail, and lying down upon it, drawing it over his body, with all