The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-18 00:00:00

THE GORILLA COUATRY.

Mr. Walker, of Fernand Vas, has written a 1
letter to Dr. Gray, under the date of August 29,
1867, from which we (Athenxuni) are allowed to
make the following extract :—" It may interest you
as well as the Zoological Society, to know that I
have a fine, healthy, young male gorilla, which I
hope may eventually reach the Zoological-gardens.
I have heard of a young chimpanzee at some dis-
tance, and have to-day sent to endeavour to pro-
cure it as a companion for my little Njine. I shall
do my utmost to send the pair safely to England ;
but as the winter will he coming on before I can
ship them, I may have to keep them until next
spring, and it will be a hard matter to keep them
alive all that time. The gorilla was captured on
the 13th instant, and brought to me the next day
by its captor, one of the natives trading for me,
who, whilst taking a walk, unarmed, except
with a spear, suddenly came on a family of
gorillas—father, mother, and young one. The
mother, contrary to what might have been
expected, abandoned her baby,' and ran off ;
the father showed fight, rushing at the native open-
mouthed, and receiving a stab in the side from a
spear, which caused him to retreat a little ; when
my man, not waiting to receive a second attack,
snatched up the young one, and made for his home
as fast as possible, and the next day brought the
little fellow to me, made fast with a forked stick
about his neck, as if he was a most ferocious animal.
I s9Oll made him more comfortable, by placing a
belt round him, to which I attached a small cord ;
and though somewhat snappish for a day or two,
awl very shy, he soon became quite familiar and
tame, and now his greatest delight is to be in my
arms, where he would stop aitogetlier if I would Ist
him, and had nothing to do but to nurse him. lie
is, I should think, between one and two years old,
hearty, vigorous and healthy, with a tremendous
appetite, and contrives to get through several
pounds of berries a day, besides nearly a
pint of goat's milk, with which I mix up two
raw eggs, to prevent diarrhoea, to which these
animals are very subject, and which has occa-
sioned the death of four others which I have
had at different times ; but I think this one
stands a better chance of living than any of the
previous ones—at any rate, there seems little fear
of his dying of starvation. I have always been
puzzled by M. Du Chaillu's account of the uncon-
querable savageness of young gorillas, which is so
diametrically opposed to my own experience of them.
I certainly never saw any of those in his possession
whose untatnableness he mentions, but he saw one
perfectly tame at my factory in, I think, 1860; and
of the five I have had, only one, and that one about
four years old, was at all savage ; the others soon
became tame, familiar, and playful ; and the present
subject is no exception to the rule, having made
great progress in a very short time, and being cer-
tainly quite as devoid of spitefulness as a chimpan-
zee of the same age, and only so short a time from
the bush,' would be. The grief of the little fellow
when first caught was quite touching to witness; he
could scarcely bear to be looked at, and, if at all
annoyed by the presence of many people round him,
would lie on the ground, with his face buried in his
hands, and sway his head from side to side, as if in
an agony of sorrow at losing his parents; and even
now, when left alone for any length of time, he has
relapses of the same kind, and appears to be in great
tribulation."

Foreign Mail Packet List.

MAILS DUE.

Australia and New Zealand, via Southampton Deo. 20.
Ditto, via Marseilles Jan. 14
Ditto, via Panama Dec. 30.
Brazil, Buenas Ayres, and Monte Video Jan. 5.
Ditto, by French packet
Gape Verde. by Brazil packet
cape of Good hope. Ascension, and St. lielena Des. 23.
China. Penang. and Singapore. via Souiliampton Dec. 20.
Ditto, via Marseilles .. • Dec. 23
Faikland Islands
aibraitar, via Southampton Dcc. 20.
India, via Southampton Dee. 29.
Ditto, via Marseil.es
Malta, Egypt, Ste. De3. 20
Ditto, Marseilles... Dec. 21.
Mauritius, Cape of Good lope, and Natal, via _ _

Southampton ••• Dec.

DIU), Mare.elilee Jan. 13
Newfoundland

Portugal

Jan. 5

Ditto, by pr le ship to Oporto ...
Ditto .tto to Lisbon
United States, ( ansda, CaWornia, &c., by British

packet

Ditto, by L i ited states packet
Ditto ditto 'New York,
Ditto ditto 'N&w York)
Ditto ditt, (Baltimure)
Ditto, by Canadian packet Dec 20
West Coast of Atrit.a, Madeira, and Teneriirc Dec. 17
Wert (notes and raz.itic (except Mexico and Baha-
mas)
Cuba and tlexico De.:.
:I'.
itaha:nas, via New York
Bermuda, via Halifax

TESTIMONIAL TO A POLICE INSPECTOR.—Mr
Inspector Moore, of the 11 Division, having, after 25 years
service, retired on the highest superannuation allowed, and
during which service lie was 19 years inspector, and live
years a sergeant, in the M or Sou hwark division, the
tradesmen of Southwark, Bermondsey, and Rotherhitbe
have, in recognition of his courteous, obliging, and straight-
fcrward conduct while in the district, presented him with
a testimonial, consisting of a silver tea service, value 40
guineas, and a purse containing 100 sovs.
PRESENTS TO SITIT EVERY PURPOSE, TASTE, AND
POCKET AT PARKINS AND GOTTO'S.—Photographic Albums
a choice of 3,000 ; despatch boxes, writing cases, dressing
cases, travelling bags, envelope cases, blotting books, ink
stands, desks, book slides, work boxes, tea caddies, hand
bags and reticules, card cases, purses, stationery cabinets,
scent bottles, albums for postage stamps, crests, &c.; cigar
cases, card baskets, pocket books, electro-gilt and elegantly
mounted articles. Bibles, Prayer-books, and Church Ser-
vices, in every type. Parkins and Gotto, 25, Oxford-
street. Thousands of the above articles, all perfectly now
mid fresh, consequent upon a rapid sale.--tADvx.)

• -
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1 ' SPIRIT OF THE PTIBLI 40 : -li/
It is necessary, as the Times ea fri ki - 41-eele;raliihre• /-;••
dangers with which we are threaten , 4.,tbZi";noeit- 4. JO;
Is probable that tine precautions and isi'"'e Z: ! iii-ii4r
speedily bring it to an end. The Fen , . Mgrs :use'
so doubt: prepared for any violence,%nt we cannot but
think that their very atrocities will' lessen their hold
an the restless and impulsive but generous people their
delude. It may be predicted that the Clerkenwell
massacre will cause many an Irishman to draw back
from the conspiracy which is stained with the blood
of women and little children. No sentiment will be
possible this time, should the perpetrators of the outrage
meet a well-deserved fate. The Limerick or Killarney
ladies will hardly array themselves in a tast-ful mixture
of black and green to honour the memory of those who
!Jere filled the wards of St. Bartholomew's with burnt
and blackened patients. N(x is the setting fire to Imo/.
Fending people's houses in various part; of London, with tho
view of exciting general terror, a very noble and romantic
kind of warfare. It is no flat`ery for the Irish people to
say that we believe Fenianism to be making suicide of itself
by its wickedness ; it would be an insult to them to sup.
pose them capable of putting trust any longer in such
leaders. This foreign conspiracy, in which a few God-aban-
doned men do the work of Transatlantic plotters, taking
np their devices, and possibly using materials furnished
from abroad, will hardly fail to appear in its true light to
the eyes of an undeceived people. If this be so, those
Irish who have unfortunately allowed themselves to be
led away by misplaced sympathy with guilty men need
have no shame in abandoning the impious !a tien
which pretends to be working their deliverance. They
certainly cannot do better than follow the advice
of the Roman Catholic clergy, who have all along,
and never more vehemently than during the last
few days, counselled them to abstain from treasonable
doings. The Roman Catholic bishops especially have done
both their flocks and the nation an eminent service by the
spirit in which they have met the crisis. Though some
priests did seem to have drawn nearer to the disaffectea
class after the execution at Manchester, wo are yet bo•And
.to say that the clergy, as a wh Ile, have shown that t.F 43, are
well-disposed to the-eanse of law and order, and ',;hat the
Government may count On them in combating the delusions
of the hour. They now have the opportunity of pointing
out to their flocks, by the light of recent events, how vain
are the hopes of the traitors, and what misery a persistence
in this enterprise will bring on Ireland.
The Daily Hews is disposed to question the soundness of.
Mr. Disraeli's position that the sufferers by the Clerken.
well explosion should look to private charity for their rag).
port. A voluntary subscription is better than a gre.nt of
public money where opinions are divided as to the object
sought, as has happened when a vote has been proposed
for a statue of a public man ; or where a special sentiment
needs to be stimulated and developed ; or where a demon-
stration of feeling is needed to remove doubt and uncer-
tainty as to a sentiment already existing. On the other
hand, where a public sentiment is strong, unanimous, and
is clearly manifested, there are decided advantages to be.
gained by making the Government its organ, and this ve
submit is now the ise. It was worth while to make
the provision for tlit>e poor people public and national, in
order to shew to all who may be exposed to danger in their
country's cause that the honour, power, and resources of
the whole State are pledged to their succour and relief.
And if one could suppose the egotists who plan such out
rages as these accessible to instruction, the spectacle of
the easy, instant, and certain action of the Government in
repairing the mischief they have done, is calculated to be
more impressive than the labours of committees and the
parade of fragmentary subscriptions. It is satisfactory,
however, to know that in every ease the sufferers will be
well cared for. Many of them have sustained by bereave-
ment losses which are irreparable, but the country will
with heart and soul do all that is possible for their comfort
and welfare.

The Herald believes that the policy inaugurated at
Manchester, with the general support of the country, will
in a little time bring the real Fenians to their senses.
The ♦ery nature of the attempt at Clerkenwell is an
evidence how necessary the Brotherhood feel it to reassert
their proud boast that British law had no terror for them.
Towards the other portion of the disaffected our duty is
equally clear. We must guard them from the conse-
quences of their own folly. We must remind them con-
tinually that if they transgress those limits within which
contempt makes them secure, the law will be vindi-
cated with the utmost energy and declsion. Where such
wild work as these processions exemplify becomes the habit
of a multitude the excitement is contagious and spreads
to quiet people, who under ordinary circumstances would
snake tolerably good subjects. The proverb exhorts us
when we are at Rome to do as Rome does, end if it
became the right of every Irish town to parade its dis-
loyalty, what had been the violence of a few would soon
become the recognised public opinion of the place. The
idle and illogical might he content with such contemptible
displays, but the earnest minds among the cr,iwd would
be apter pupils for Fenian recruiting sergeants, and the
countenance of such displays would swell the Fenian
exchequer. The circumstances of Ireland make the
course adopted by Lord Abercorn imperative. The im-
mediate success which has attended his measures are a
further and most convincing proof of their propriety.

The Staniard asks whether, after the evidence of
Inspector Thomson, that as far back as Wednesday a coin•
munication was received to the effect that an attack would
be made on the prison walls, the police are not to blame in
not better looking after the House of Detention. If it
be so, there can be no question that there is grave causo
for complaint against the department which, having been

forewarned, should have been forearmed. If the de-
tectives were previously notified, as we believe it will
prove they were, that the attempted rescue would take
';he form of an attack upon a certain portion of the
oundary wall of the recreation ground between three and
four o'clock on Friday afternoon, measures should have
been taken to render impossible the catastrophe which
ensued. Not a man, woman, or child should have
been allowed to pass through or linger in Corporation-lane,
save under the most rigorous espionage. The conferences
of the woman Justice with Allen and Desmond should at
once have excited suspicion, as well as the furtive appear
:nee of the four men pecr:ng over the wall from a top
window. With a vigilant and intelligent look-out the
planting of the barrel against the prison wall at the very
spot indice ted would have shewn the precise nature of the
danger to be anticipated, and the delay in fixing and light-
ing the squib would have afforded ample time both for
defeating the plot and arresting its agents. It is fearful
to contemplate the loss of life and the amount of suffering
and misery which may be chargeable to the carelessness
or want of intelligence displayed in this matter. One
Food result, at least, may accrue from that disaster of
riday. It may lead to a reform and reorganisation in
our detective department.
If, observes the Telegraph, it should be pleaded that the
deed was transcendently unexpe-trd, we are obliged to
admit the fact, and to excuse a great deal of neglected in-
formation and " lazy" movements ; but the apology must
only serve for once. We know now with what we have to
deal ; the mood which impelled those four or five trick.
end-tub Fenians will blench at nothing that we may tSink
lacredible. Death met in •the act or upau the gallows will
hot daunt them ; we have tried that, and, to say the
least, the experiment has not had absolute and perfect
tuccess. It will not suffice to fulminate tlreats against
toe Fenians, or to declare that we shall band them over
Judge Lynch. We must punish such human tigers
like tigers when we are sure that we have them ; but we
must also set keen wits to work against those mad, quick
Celtic devotees of murder. Bungling and blundering will
not stop the infernal programme. And this really is nut
the first nor the second time that the police have been
forewarned. Informers—always plentiful, strange to say,
among these desperate and fervid assassins—will be die.
couraged about Scotland-yard if their hints are perpetually
thrown away. It- is no time for paying compliments to
the force. We want proofs of its sagacity and forethought.
By-and-bye, when the craze of murder is over, and we
begin to talk of legislation, vigilance and activity will not
fail to receive their reward.

The instantaneous connection of the men and the
woman with the explosion seems to the Star irresistibly to
sir!gest that the goodwill and shrewdness of the officers
might have been put to much better use than they were.
This is confirmed, too, by the evidence of Inspector Thom-
son, who gave notice to all the Clerkenwell stations to
watch every likely point of attack on the House of Deten-
tion that afternoon. Why was there not at least one
policeman in uniform at each likely pointin accordance
with this hint ? Several non-police witnesses detailed the
manner in which the barrel was placed and fired, and
one of them deposed to having called the attention of
a policeman to it. The evidence of next Friday wi,l be
watched for with great interest as likely to connect these
two branches of the story more exactly than they are
united by the evidence of the policeman Sutton. In the
meantime rumours arc abroad of a foiled attempt upon
Millhank, and of the presence of a barge of gunpowder on
the Thames near to certain gas-works. All our tout
ry deems it necessary to say on these reports is, that
the lesson of the House of Detention ought to have effec-
tually taught the police how best to reassure the public,
and now best to frustrate the public enemy.

The Post makes some severe comments on a case of pro-
motion in the Foreign. Office, where the aggregate services
of V 2 years have b.:en neglected to make way fur one Illr.
Burnley—eiglity seven years' seniority among the con-
suls-general, zui-t ninety-five years among the secretaries.
senior Cons.ll-General having entered the service in
and cow:Lug consequently forty-three years' ser-
vice, while the senior Secretary of Legation was ap-
pointed in the year 181 G, and has served fifty-one years
without promotion or even an honorary reward of
any kind ! Supposing the Admiralty or Vie horse
Guards w,..re to i o such things as these, what would be
said ? Briefly, the complaints of the diplomatic and
consular service may be thus summed up. The promo.
tions are independent of merit, rank, length of service, or
any other motive than interest or caprice. Arbitrary
fines are imposed ; accounts are refused payment or exami-
nation ; deductions are made from salaries without justi.
fiable reason. Officers are suspended and degraded without
cause assigned.. Protest and appeal are useless, and cause
a man to be marked down for punishment of a vindictive
kind, amounting in many cases to persecution ; while the
only definite rule understood throughout both services is a
system of open and undisguised favouritism by a clique,
which seems to set all public upinien and right feeling at
defiance.