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h'o\" to properly"

engage "ih,the h'tln!

',01,a-weal mythic ape

.' l '; .

an educatipnal' essay by prof. magnus j. perricu!um
(origina!ly,pubRshed in the journal of exotic gent!emanly
, PUrst,fits vol. vi, issue~3' 6, :june 6th, 1921.)

n1aX" robinson'

,It is, often I am asked, "Erofessor, how is it you came

into possession of such exquisite ape skeletons, many of

which' adorn the o'rnat e crystal di~play case in your private

study?", and 'time ana time again I find myself explaining

the methods' that allowed such treasures to come into my

pos s'e ssLon. Thusly, I thought it best to collect my thoughts

and, dr awi.nq.upon my myriad exploits, p'rovi.de a singular,

reliable tutorial to be drawn upon by future generations

(and pe,rhaps, if my contemptibly failing memory is any

indication, myself some day not far from now) .

Like any, matter, hunting one of the animal kingdom's

most savage brut~s, is an endeavor that requires a not

insubstantial allotment of gold and a sharp ear for tribal

dialects, Your first step is to ensure the authenticity of

the legend of your prey: Fraudulent stories of enormous apes

are a dime a dozen and it is important to be able to tell

~ the differende between shrouded fact and pure fiction, When

examining a map to your creature's lair, for instance, it

is ke yrt o inspect, paper quality, making sure that it has

the requisite stench of age and the asymmetrically torn

edges that are a trademark of the trade, Toomes' 1869 work',

on the subject, "Case Studies of Allcient World Cartography"

.Ls .perhaps the most well-:r:egar'dedstudy of this aspect and

,is, although perhaps a tad dated, an invaluable read, with

,,iega'rdsto, this subject, ~,

Finaing ,and employing a local youth to carry supplies,

,'perform ri qoz ous manual labor and, of course, amuse the,

members of 'your hunting party with 'song and dance is

a ne ce ssIty for any expedition, This may seem, lik;e an

unnecessary expenditure, but this cheerful fellow will seem

a 'bargain when in the midst of your journey and you find it

isl1{mand' not yourself who has stepped in that p~tch of.'

quicksand or fallen into the inescapable web of that ever-

crafty rapscallion, the ?eruvian Picnic Basket spider,

Indeed, I myself always employ at least tW9 such youths,

lest fate's cruel hand strikes one down and I am left to

make my own meals for the duration of the expedition. It is