My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO 179I will tell you presently how I came to get it, butmust first relate my inventive skill as a nurse. Thelittle innocent was not weaned, and I had nothingproper to feed it with, so was obliged to give it ricewater.I got a large-mouthed bottle, making twoholes in the cork, through one of which I inserted alarge quill so that the baby could suck. I fitted upa box for a cradle with a mat for it to lie upon, whichI had washed and changed every day. I feed it fourtimes a day, and wash it and brush its hair every day,which it likes very much, only crying when it ishungry or dirty. In about a week I gave it the ricewatera little thicker, and always sweetened it tomake it nice. I am afraid you would call it an uglybaby, for it has a dark brown skin and red hair, avery large mouth, but very pretty little hands andfeet. It has now cut its two lower front teeth, andthe uppers are coming. At first it would not sleepalone at night, but cried very much ; so I made it apillow of an old stocking, which it likes to hug, andnow sleeps very soundly. It has powerful lungs, andsometimes screams tremendously, so I hope it willlive."But I must now tell you how I came to takecharge of it. Don't be alarmed ; I was the cause ofits mother's death. It happened as follows I wasout shooting in the jungle and saw something up atree which I thought was a large monkey or orangutan,so I fired at it, and down fell this little baby—inits mother's arms. What she did up in the tree ofcourse I can't imagine, but as she ran about thebranches quite easily, I presume she was a wild*woman of the woods ; ' so I have preserved her skinand skeleton, and am trying to bring up her onlydaughter, and hope some day to introduce her to