THE BABOON. 21

and encamped there for the night. The next morning, when
the army was about to proceed on its march, the soldiers
saw, at some distance, an enormous number of baboons,
drawn up in rank and file, like a small army, with such
regularity, that the Macedonians, who could have no idea
of such a manceuvre, imagined at first that it was the enemy
drawn up to receive them.”

The The chackma lives among the mountains of
Chackma the Cape of Good Hope, where he attains about
Baboon. the size of an English mastiff and even greater

strength. He descends to the plains on foraging expeditions,
and, when not attacked, will usually make off on the approach
of danger, but if aroused to anger can both show and use
his teeth, and is far superior to the average English boy in
throwing stones.
The Baboon’s Le Vaillant gives an interesting account of
Utility. a chackma baboon which accompanied him
through South Africa, and which bore the name of Kees.
He says: “I made him my taster. Whenever we found fruits
or roots, with which my Hottentots were unacquainted, we
did not touch them till Kees had tasted them. If he threw
them away, we concluded that they were either of a dis-
agreeable flavour, or of a pernicious quality, and left them
untasted. The monkey possesses a peculiar property, wherein
he differs greatly from other animals, and resembles man,—
namely, that he is by nature equally gluttonous and inquisitive.
Without necessity, and without appetite, he tastes every
thing that falls in his way, or that is given to him. But
Kees had a still more valuable quality,—he was an excellent
sentinel; for, whether by day or night, he immediately sprang
up on the slightest appearance of danger. By his cry, and
the symptoms of fear which he exhibited, we were always
apprized of the approach of an enemy, even though the dogs
perceived nothing of it. The latter, at length, learned to rely
upon him with such confidence, that they slept on in per-