Philosophic essays on the manners of various foreign animals; with observations on the laws and customs of several eastern nations / Written in French by M. Foucher d'Obsonville, ; and translated into English by Thomas Holcroft.

  • Foucher d'Obsonville, 1734-1802
Date:
1784
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Philosophic essays on the manners of various foreign animals; with observations on the laws and customs of several eastern nations / Written in French by M. Foucher d'Obsonville, ; and translated into English by Thomas Holcroft. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    C 3Sl ] the chief would venture to approach, though at firffc fideling, and fixing his eyes upon me, to divine, if I had not fome li- miter purpofe againlt him. Prefently be- come bold, he would feize the thumb of the hand, in which I held the peas, with one, and eat with his other hand, Hill keeping his eyes fixed on mine. If I laughed or Itirred, he would break off his repaid ; and, working his lips, make a kind of muttering, the fenfe of which his long canine teeth, occafionally fhewn, plainly interpreted. When I threw a few at a diftance, he feemed fatisfied that others fhould gather them up ; but he grumbled at, and fome- times ftruck thofe that inconfiderately came too near me. His cries and folici- tude, though in part the effect, perhaps, of greedinefs, apparently indicated his. fear left I fhould take advantage of their weak- nefs to enfnare them : and I conftantly oh- ferved, that thofe which were fufFéred to » approach me neareft, were the well-grown ftrong males ; the young and the females were always obliged to keep at a conlider- able diftance. 5 The ;
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