The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-08 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

The Prussian Official Gazette publishes the fol-
lowing Royal manifesto, signed by the King :
" We, William, by the grace of God, King of
Prussia, &e., make known :
According to the decrees of God we have
ascended the Royal throne of Prussia, and we have
solemnly manifested our intention to conduct the
Government entrusted to us by Divine grace ac-
cording to the Constitution and laws of the king-
dom.

" Our predecessors on the throne have bequeathed
to us the respectable custom that on the accession
of the Ktngs of Prussia they receive the oath of
allegiance from the country. We maintain that
tradition as an inviolable right of our Crown,
and we also wish it to be equally gua-
ranteed to our successors. But, in consideration
of the changes introduced into the Constitution of
the Monarchy under the prosperous reign of our
dearly beloved brother King Ferdinand William IV.
of glorious memory, we have resolved to renew,
instead of the ceremony of rendering homage, the
solemn coronation by which our august master,
King Frederick 1., founded hereditary royalty in
our house.

" Inclining ourselves humbly before God, and
imploring the blessing of the Almighty for us and
for our beloved country, we wish, by the festival of
the coronation celebrated in the presence of the
members of the two Chambers of the Diet and other
witnesses invited by us from all the provinces of our
kingdom, to render testimony to the sacred and
ever imperishable right of the Crown to which we
have been called by the grace of God, and to con-
solidate still more the bond formed by a glorious
history between our house and the Prussian people.
" We shall therefore celebrate, conjointly with
the Queen, our spouse, our solemn coronation in
the month of October of the present year, in our
capital and residence of Konigsberg, and we reserve
to ourselves to publish ulterior regulations on the
ceremony of the coronation, as also on the solemn
entry into our capital and residence of Berlin on
return.—Given at Berlin, July 3, 1861.

" WILLIAM."
(Countersigned by the Ministers.)

DEATH OF AN EMINENT ARCHITECT.—New-
castle-on-Tyne has lost another of its eminent men—
Mr. Richard Grainger, the architect and builder of all its
newest and most magnificent streets and public buildings,
died on Thursday afternoon, in the 63d year of his age, after
half-an-hour's illness. Of Mr. Grainger it may be honestly
said that he found his native town brick and left it stone.
Through his energy and genius the magnificent range of
streets comprehending Grey-street, Clayton-street, Market,
Grainger, Nelson, Hood, and Shapespeare streets, with the
theatre, Central Exchange, the new markets, among the
finest covered markets in England, the branch Bank of
England, Messrs. Lambton's bank, the Arcade, and innu-
merable public buildings were erected—and like the elder
Stephenson, and other eminent Newcastle men, Mr.
Grainger was self made. Mr. Grainger's father was a por-
ter on the quayside. The father died shortly after the son
was born. His mother followed the employment of laundress
to maintain her children, and Mr. Grainger received what
education he got in the St. Andrew's Charity School. Mr.
Grainger served his time as a house carpenter. From early
youth he appears to have been fired with an ambition to
effect great improvements in his native town, and the mag-
nificent streets and noble public buildings that grace it are
wonderful monuments of his genius and indomitable per-
severance and will. Mr. Grainger, like most men of his
character, was of a generous and noble disposition. Some
years ago the immense magnitude of his transactions tem-
porarily embarrassed his affairs, but the progress of trade
vastly improved his property after, and in recent years he
reaped the more substantial results of his energy and intel•
ligence.

a the beast- Iso much wished to shoot.- Hour after hour
VICTOR EMMANUEL CITED BEFORE TIIE CANER- we travelled, and vet no signs of gorilla. Only the ever-
LINGO —A letter from Rome of the 23d ult., describes a
lasting little chattering monkeys—and not many of these—
curious ceremony that takes place in the Vatican on the eve and occasionally birds. In fast, the forests of this part of
.D.Afflriifcea—a.s the reader has seen by this time—are not so full
of St. Peter and St. Fail. A solemn sitting of the " earner- ts south.
lingate" is held, and before it are cited successively all the Sudcalesnlla
T .10 ne,,oati lue r„
I 'e' ra el.
~ dol!, littles.Fluck with his tongue,
tributaries who have to pay an acknowledgment of their which is the native's showing that something is
estates to the sovereign power of the Papacy. The stirring, and that a sharp wayook-ouot necessary. And pre •
Borghese family are summoned and pay a silver dish; the sently noticed, a-head of us seemingly, a noise as of some
Princess Marie Bonaparte, a pound of wax ; the Marquis one breaking down branches or twigs of trees.
This was the I knew at once, by the eager and
tterhiaohmucptoaairnoiaeos,nctawileoadnpboievufonuds of wax; the Chigi, a silver basin ; satisled looks of the gorilla,me They looked once more carefully
, ,
,rr,wyeThtchhoiebooorw:eile:,o,lsensrtiaoancsnhdedaroelthinweaecomvfsobcirecurthd,oiiirs.t
is
rnm curiousco
inaultiehttlyoe a t their
out of the pans ; I also examined mine, to make sure that
Kinghear tohfe
snaarmdieniaof,
btahul lotauwwlga.ehs rightthought
; and
,entustheneenntniai2:ficg,
neeesi
engaged
oi
iy.in. marched
The singular noise of the breaking of tree-branches con-
of Masseran. The chalice was punctually paid till the acces• at all.
We walked with the greatest care, making no noise
sion of Victor Emmanuel. Since then this tribute has been the men showed that they
serious undertaking;uwsesaw
down that he is not present, either in person or by repro-
omitted, but still every year he is summoned it is taken wevtehryous,,e
gentatiVe; and ho is accordingly censured, and declared to, ft
rhoemt Lt
hi c
ekmuthws Thetheohmeoedds cseoolntuvh e
berries m o
andv moving
fruits
uo fi t the h
he e brancheslives
which the great beast was tearing down, probably to get
have forfeited the principality
of Masseran. Suddenly, as we were yet creel:4l,g along, in it Itileno9

which made a heavy breath seem loud and distinct, the
woods were at once filled with the tremendous barking roar
of the gorilla.
Then the underbrush swayed rapidly just ahead, and
presently before us stood an immense male gorilla. He had
gone through the jungle on his all-fours; but when he saw
our party he erected himself and looked us boldly in the
face. Ho stood about a dozon yards from us, and was a eight
I think I shall never forget. Nearly six feet high (he
proved four inches shorter), with immense body, huge chest,
and great muscular arms, with fiercely-glaring large deep
grey eyes, and a hellish expression of face, which seemed
to me like some nightmare vision : thus stood before us the
king of the African forest.
He was not afraid of us. He stood there, and beat his
breast with his huge fists till it resounded like an immense
bass. drum, which is their mode of offering defiance ; mean-
time giving vent to roar after roar.
The roar of the gorilla is the most singular and awful
noise heard in these African woods. It begins with a
sharp bark, and then glides into a deep bass roll, which
literally and closely resembles the roll of distant thunder
along the sky, for which I have sometimes been tempted to
take it where I did not see the animal. So:deep is it that it
seems to proceed less from the mouth and throat than from
the deep chest and vast paunch,
His oyes began to flash fiercer as we stood motionless on
the defensive, and the crest of short hair which stands on
his forehead began to twitch rapidly up and down, while
his powerful fangs were shown as he again sent forth a
thunderous roar. And now truly he reminded me of no-
thing but some hellish dream creatures--a being of that
hideous order, half-man, half-boast, which we find pictured
by old artists in some representations of the infernal regions.
He advanced a few steps—then stopped to utter that hide-
ous roar again—advanced again, and finally stopped when
at a distance of about six yards from us. And here, just as
he began ono of his roars, beating his breast in rage, we
fired, and killed him.
With a groan which had something terribly human in it,
and yet was full of brutishness, ho fell forward on his face.
The body shook convulsively for a few minutes, the limbs
moved about in a straggling way, and then all was quiet—
death had done its work, and I had leisure to examine the
huge body. It ptoved to be five feet eight inches high,
and the muscular development of the arms and breast
showed what immense strength it had possessed.
The chase of the gorilla is one of considerable
danger—not that he attacks man ; for although a
determined and ferocious antagonist when brought
to close quarters, he will if possible avoid the con-
test—he does not wantonly commence hostilities,
but when hard pressed or surprised he confronts
his enemy and gives the hunter ample time
to fire, but if his gun miss fire the case is desperate.
The power of the gorilla is so immense that it
" Needs but a buffet and no more,
His foe lies senseless in his gore,"
But it does not seem to follow up its advantage ;
once his antagonist is prostrated it leaves him but
generally in a dying condition. M. du Chaillu
tells us with a blow its arm can break a man's
skull, and that with its strong claw like-hand it
can rip a man open. One of the author's hunters
lost his life in this manner. The gorilla seems to
be untameable. M. du Chaillu succeeded in obtain-
ing one alive about three years old, but it was as
savage as any old one could have been, and pos-
sessed such strength that four men had difficulty
in holding it. He was unable to preserve it, how-
ever, and it died after a short captivity. In his
concluding remarks on the gorilla, the author ob
serves :

face of your cousin from the bush 1 He is nearer to you
than gorilla is to us."
And another roar.
" Gorilla no got woolly hair like we. This one straight
hair, like you."
"Yes," said I; "but when he gets old his face is black;
and do you not see his nose how flat it is, like yours ?"
Whereat there was a louder laugh than before, For, so
long as he can laugh, the negro cares little against whom
thejoke goes,
As the dry season advanced, and the nights grew cooler,
ho became exceedingly fond of
sitting near the tire with the
men in the evening; and Master Tommy seemed then to
enjoy himself wonderfully, and quite as much as any human
being. From time to time he looked up into the faces ef those round him, as if to say, "Do not drive me away I"
and the very white colour of his face contrasted singularly
with the black heads around him. Jlis eye was intelligent,
and when left to himself his whole countenance had a look
of sadness, sometimes painful to behold. Many times I
tried to penetrate and read the inward thoughts of this won-
derful little creature, which not only excited my wonder,
but that of the natives. Tommy had a reputation quite tuk
great as mine throughout the country. But alas I poor
Tommy I One morning he refused his food, seemed down-
cast, and was very anxious to be petted and held in the
arms. I got all kinds of forest berries for him, but he re-
fused all. He did not seem to suffer, but ate nothing ; and
next day, without a struggle, died. Poor fellow I I was
very sorry, for he had grown up to be quite a pet com-
panion for me ; and even the negroes, though he had given
them great trouble, were sorry at his death.
With the exception of the Fans, the habits and cus-
toms of the negroes are much the same in this
neighbourhood, all believing in Fetish and Idols.
The Fetish man is the greatest villain that can pos-
sibly be conceived. He holds the lives of the people
in his hand, for an accusation of witchcraft will be
certain to cause the execution of the party denounced.
But other writers have dilated on this subject, so
let us accompany M. Chaillu to the unexplored
region of the Fan, where hitherto the foot of white
man never trod. The first native he met in this
country nearly fainted on seeing him (he being int
advance of his party), believing him to be the ghost
or spirit of some dead relation. However, their
minds were soon set at ease, and he was well enter-
tained. The reader may fancy if he can the dis-
gust which the traveller felt when he found that.
his entertainers were professed cannibals ; not eat-
ing an enemy now and then out of revenge, but
making dead bodies a marketable article, salting
down what was to spare and purchasing corpses
from neighbouring nations.
While I was talking to the king to-day (9th), some Fans
brought in a dead body which they had bought in a neigh-
bouring town, and which was now to be divided. I could
see that the man had died of' some disease. I confess I
could net bear to stay for the cutting up of the body, but
retreated when all was ready. It made me sick all over.
I remained till the infernal scene was about to begin, and
then retreated. Afterwards I could hear them from my
house growing noisy over the division.
Eating the bodies of persons who have died of sickness is
a form of cannibalism of which I had never heard among
any people, so that I determined to inquire if it were in-
deed a general custom among the Fans, or merely an excep-
tional freak. They spoke without embarrassment about
the whole matter, and I was informed that they constantly
buy the dead of the 0 sheba tribe, who, in return, buy
theirs. They also buy the dead of other families in their
own tribes, and, besides this, get the bodies of a great many
slaves from the Mbichos and Mbondemos, for which they
readily give ivory, at the rate of a small tusk for a body.
Until to-day I never could believe two stories—both well
authenticated, but seeming quite impossible to any one
unacquainted with this people--which are told of them on
Gaboon. A party of Fans who came down to the sea-
shore once actually stole a freshly-buried body from the
cemetery, and cooked it and ate it among them; and at
another time a party conveyed a body into the woods, cut
it up, and smoked the flesh, which they carried away with
them. Tho circumstances made a great fuss among the
Mpongwe, and even the missionaries heard of it, for it
happened at a village not far from the missionary grounds,
but I never credited the stories till now though the facts
were well authenticated by witnesses. In fact, the Fans
seem regular ghouls, only they practice their horrid custom
unblushingly and in open day, and have no shame about it.
I have seen here knives covered with human skin, which
their owners valued very highly.
The author considers the Fans to be an intelligent
race, and supposes human flesh agrees with them;
at all events they are the finest race of negroes he has
met with, making their own knives and building
substantial houses after the African kind. There
exists a curious notion among the natives that the
white people eat the slaves they purchase, and there-
fore being sold to the coast tribes for exportation is
considered a terrible punishment among interior
nations. On his last voyage up the Fernand Vas
river, a certain chief, after receiving him most
hospitably, sent him to his horror a slave for supper.
After some conversation he said—
"Be glad, 0 spirit, and eat of the things we give thee."
Wherupon, to my astonishment, a slave was handed over
to me, bound, and Remandji said, " Kill him and eat him
for your evening meal; he is tender and fat, and you must
be hungry." It took me a moment to recover from my
astonishment; then I shook lay head, spat violently
on the ground, and made Minsho tell them
that I abhorred the people who ate human flesh and that
I and my people never did so." ,
To which Remandji replied, "We always heard that
you white men eat men. Why do you buy our people ?
Why do you come from nobody knows where, and carry off
our men, women, and children ? Do you not fatten them in
your country and eat them ? Therefore I gave you this slave
that you might kill him and make glad your heart."
M. du Chaillu experienced great kindness from the
natives in general ; of course, many tried to impose
upon him, but, by coolness and moderation, he
always succeeded in carrying his point and having
his own way; and although he was unable in many
cases to prevent wanton murder, still he was
able,'from the influence he had over the head
men, to prevent many atrocities. After nearly five
years' absence he returned to America with his
numerous collection, and after all his toils and
dangers he has the satisfaction of knowing that his
name will go down to posterity as one of the most
successful and daring of African explorers.
We wish, in conclusion, to make a few
remarks on a controversy which, from the
sensation it has created in all circles, should
not be passed over in silence. We refer to the
attempts which have been made by a few
scientific and many ignorant individuals to
cast discredit on M. du Chaillu's narrative.
But that so much has been said and written
upon the subject we would remain silent, for
the calumniators' arguments defeat themselves.
The work under consideration is compiled from
notes taken at various times during a period of
four years, and the detractors seize upon every
slight incongruity to be met with in its pages;
a grand stand has been made in regard to dates
which do not altogether agree. Is this a proof that
the work is a fiction ? Why, it proves the truth
and honesty of the writer, for had the book been
written in Mr. Murray's back parlour, as some
wiseacres would insinuate, the author would have
been careful to be correct in even the slightest de-
tails. Again, having no other ground to stand
upon, they must fall upon the engravings, because
they do not always represent the letterpress in every
detail. We should like to find any illustrated work
which will be found to do so. The plates are well exe-
cuted, and give the reader a very good idea of the
situations which they purport to represent. His
description of the cannible Fans is said to be ex-
aggerated. Well, M. du Chaillu may content
himself : he is no worse off than Bruce was when
he related how the Abyssinians cut steaks off a live
bullock. Nobody believed him, and he suffered
ridicule instead of reaping praise. Time, however,
proved him to be right. So will it be with M. du
Chaillu. - And after all, this very detraction, while
it acts as an advertisement for his book, cannot in
any way impeach the author's veracity, supported
as he is by Profeasor Owen, Captain Burton, and
other distinguished men; for—
" Envy will merit, as its shade, pursue,
And, like the shadow, prove the substance true."

I am sorry to be the dispeller of such agreeable delu-
sions ; but the gorilla does not lurk in trees by the roadside,
and drag up unsuspicious passers-by in its claws, and choke
them to death in its vice-like paws ;it does not attack the
elephant and beat him to death with sticks; it does
not carry off women from the native villages; it does not
build itself a house of leaves and twigs in the forest-trees,
and sit on the roof as has been confidently reported of it.
It is not gregarious even, and the numerous stories of its
attacking in great numbers have not a grain of truth in
them. It lives in the loneliest and darkest portions of the
dense African jungle, preferring deep-wooded valleys, and
also rugged heights. The high plains, also, whose surface
is strewn with immense boulders, seem to be favourite
haunts. Water occurs everywhere in this part of Africa;
bat Lhave noticed the gorilla is always found very near to
a plentiful supply. It is a restless and nomadic beast,
wandering from place to place, and scarce ever found
for two days together in the same neighbourhood.
In fact, this restlessness is caused by the struggle it has to
find its favourite food. The gorilla, although it has such
immense canine teeth, and though its vast strength doubt-
less fits it to kill almost every animal which frequents the
forest, is strictly gregarious. Its vast paunch, which pro-
trudes before it when it stands upright, proves it to be a
great feeder; and, indeed, its great frame and enormous
muscular development could not be supported on little
food. It is not true that it lives much, or at all, on trees. I
found them almost always on the ground, although they
often climb the trees to pick up berries or nuts; but after
loafing they return to the ground. . • . It is fond of the
wild sugar. cane; especially fond of the white ribs of the
pine-apple leaf ; and it eats besides certain berries which
grow close to the ground ; the pith of some trees, and a kind
of nut with a very hard shell. This shell is so hard that it
requires a strong blow of a heavy hammer to break it; and
hero is probably one purpose of that enormous strength of
jaw which long seemed to me thrown away on a non-carni-
vorous animal, and which is sufficiently evidenced by the
manner in which the barrel of the musket of one of my un-
fortunate hunters was flattened by an enraged gorilla.
Among the various new species of animals dis-
covered by M. du Chaillu one of the most remark-
able is the Nshiego Mbouve, or nest-building ape.
It has no hair on its head, and wigs not having been
introduced into their country as yet, it builds a sort
of umbrella or shelter up some high tree, and sleeps
under the shade thereof; like the gorilla, this
species is not gregarious, but roams about in couples,
the male taking up his abode in one tree and the
female in another. The author thus describes his
first introduction :

The Study of the English Language an Essential
Part of a University Course; Extension of a Lec-
ture delivered at the Royal Institution. By Alex-
ander J. D. D'Orsey, B.D. Bell and Daldy.
We gave an outline of Mr. D'Orsey's admirable
lecture on the study of the English Language, im-
mediately after its delivery at the Royal Institu-
tion, but it was impossible to do justice to the ex-
tensive learning, :deep research, good taste, and
practical common sense by which it was characte-
rised, in the meagre abstract furnished by our re-
port. We are very glad, therefore, to find it is now
interested
in I
published in an extended form, copiously illustra-
ted with notes and coloured diagrams ; and at such
a price (2s. 6d.) as to plaee it within the reach of
every one interested in the subject. And who is
say, whether in aehrfbearve to
an,,
even
not, or at all events,
sipt shouldecial
specialty,
concerns,ot r
restricted
in the subject? It is not, as Mr.
D'Orsey
truly
ap brloe professional
ts
os
issoaanyyas
1, w
haat
men
wm;
clearly, forcibly, a
or writing,
elegantly, nll
sptoe e ebh
so as to save time and trouble to Our neighbours
and ourselves, and to please
While We interest.
We think it better on the present occasion rather
to let M. D'Orsey speak for himself, than attempt
to condense any of the
ture is divided. Here is
into which his lec-
e a brief but excellent his-
tory of the genealogy of languages:
OZNEALOGY OF LANGUAIM.
Were our lecture on philology, the youngest but most
interesting of studies, it would be right to trace in detail
connection between E •
which it belongs,
a term possibl
the chain of Yl
Mount Heck, English and the great family to
That family is the Indo-European,
ew to some of you, but used to designate
aanngauraageEl stretchi7 fromthe Ganges to
over America and
tAustralia. Its Indianiabiranychspinecalags Sanscrit, Hindus-
, and at least forty dialects • its Medo-Persian, the
tongues of ancient and modern Persia, Zend, Parsi, ecc. ;
its Pelaseic, Latin and Greek both old and new, with
Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romaunce ; its
Teutonic, Frisian, German, Dutch, Flemish, English, with
the Scandinavianbranch of Mosso-Gothic, Swedish, Danish,
and Norwegian ; its Sclavonic, Russian, Polish, Lithuanian;
its Celtic, Irish, Welsh, Gaelic, and Breton. The clearest
idea of the settlement of most of these languages may be
formed from the conception of peoples rolling from the East
in :'successive waves over Europe. First, in pre-histoiic
times, the Finno-Tartario (a family distinct from the Judo-
European), leaving Fins, Laps, and Magyars as its solo
representatives in our days; then Celtic, occupying at the
outset extensive tracts, but gradually a ;
wr.ven, to the extreme

you

raight