The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-02 00:00:00

true. Well, he took np the book and looked first at
the pictures—children always did. (Laughter.)
Last night Mr. C. H. Spurgeon delivered a lee- After reading the letterpress, he said to himself that
ture on the " Gorilla," with the accessories of vocal those pictures were the ruin of the book, because,
music and dissolving views, in his great tabernacle, although very well done, , they were not cor-
at Newington, to an audience which completely rect. Playing pointed out various important and
filled the whole building, and must have numbered humorous discrepances between the illustrations and
over 5,000 persons. the printed matter, the lecturer said that if the man
The doors, although opened an hour before the was an impostor he would first have looked to his
time appointed for the lecture, were besieged by pictures, because such an individual would not have
an immense crowd, who struggled hard to get the left a hole big enough for a mouse to have crept
best places. The admission was by payment, vary- through. M. Du Chaillu could shoot a gorilla, but
log from 6d- to is., and the proceeds, which must he was not a good draughtsman. He had got some
have amounted to a very considerable sum, were, one else to prepare the drawings, and he bad done
it was announced, to be devoted to the Band of them the wrong way up. (Laughter.) Give an
Hope Union, a society whose object is to promote artist the best instructions you could and he would
total abstinence from spirituous liquors among still make a mistake. For instance, every single
children and young persons, picture of the interior of that building was wrong.
An immense sheet of canvas was suspended over If men made blunders in sketching what they did
the dais in front of the pulpit for the dissolving see, was it any wonder that they should do so in
views, which the prospectus said were painted by drawing what they had not seen ? (Laughter.) No
" first-rate artists expressly for the lecture," and doubt M. Du Chaillu's sketches were only taken in
had "never before been exhibited." During the his head, and were not committed by him to paper.
evening a choir of 500 children, accommodated in He could not control the artist any more than they
thegallery behind the pulpit, sang a selection of could control the compositor, and make him set up
sacred music which had a special application to the the type correctly. If Mr. Murray, the publisher,
object of the society. would give him (Mr. Spurgeon) a handsome sum,
It was intimated in the bills that M. Du Chaillu he could show a respectable list of errors in the
the celebrated African traveller, had promised to' letterpress of the book. Many words were wrongly
lend a specimen of the gorilla for the occasion, and spelled, and altogether the work appeared to have
when half a dozen men brought some large object been brought out in a hurry. Still, the pictures
carefully wrapped up in drugget, and placed it were unfortunate, although he admitted they were
upon a table near the lecturer's table, there was no proof against the merits or truth of the book.
much laughter and cheers. Upon being uncovered With regard to Mr. Walker's letter, all he could
it was found to be a veritable gorilla of formidable say was that there was nothing in it. That writer
build, standing nearly upright, with a ferocious made M. Du Chaillu say what ho did not say, and
grin, showing the whole extent of its huge mouth then he refuted him. (Laughter.) If nothing
and teeth, or rather fangs, and holding up its right stronger than that could be brought against M. Du
arm in a menacing manner. Chaillu, his name would live and not die, and it
The arrangements upon and near the platform would not be said that he had deceived the people.
were of the roughest kind, and no accommodation (Cheers.) But supposing M. Da Chaillu a rogue
whatever was afforded to those who attended to and impostdr, who only wished to write a book
report the proceedings. to make money by it, was it likely he would
Mr. A. H. Layard, M.P. for Southwark, and have been so great a fool as to have begun his
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, pre- journey at a point where people would have been
sided, having M. Da Chaillu on his right. readily found to confute him, instead of confining
Mr. Spurgeon, upon entering, was greeted with it to remote districts where he could have been
some cheers, which, however, were indignantly sup- tracked by no one ? Besides, was it likely that any
pressed by a large portion of the congregation, who cam in his senses would sell his soul and his cha-
seemed to think they were out of keeping with the rector for the trumpery popularity of one year ?
place. If the book were an invention, it was the most
The CHAIRMAN, who on rising was, however, wonderful one ever written. If De Foe wrote
cheered as cordially as if he were about to address " Robinson Crusoe," it would take ten De Foes to
an ordinary public meeting, said he was at a loss to 'write "Du Chaillu'sDiscoveriesin Africa." (Cheers.)
know why he found himself in the chair. It was Certainly, if it were a fiction, no other man pos-
, surely not to introduce the rev. lecturer, who must sessed genius enough to compose such another work
be known to all or the greater part of them per- entirely out of his own head. The 22 gorillas he
sonally, and if not personally there were few supposed were matters of fact, as well as the hun-
throughout the length and breadth of the land, dreds of specimens of other animals and birds which
whether rich or ;poor, high or low, to whom his M. Du Chaillu had brought over from Africa. He
name was not familiar. (Cheers.) It was not to verily believed, in spite of all that had been said,
introduce the interesting party on his right—(the that M. Du Chaillu's book was matter of fact, and
gorilla). He would leave that to his rev. friend, that the author was entitled to all praise as one of
who was better able to discharge the duties of the the greatest of modern discoverers—as one who had
master of ceremonies. (Laughter.) Nor was it to done more for science and for religion than most
keep order, as he had before been in that vast build- men of his time, if not than any man. (Cheers.)
ing when it was filled, and when the rev. gentle- This was no new topic, because 600 years before
man was listened to with perfect silence. He came the Christian era the discovery was mentioned of a
there to listen, to be amused, and to be instructed ; great animal wonderfully resembling man. In 1836
and though he was slightly beyond his own peen- the skin of a gorilla was deposited in the museum
liar dominion, he could not refuse to take the chair at Havre. Wilson, the missionary in the district
on an occasion when he had an opportunity of meet- of the Gamboon river, discovered in the hut of a
ing so many of his friends, and showing how deeply native a great skull, which turned out to be that of
he approved of the conduct of Mr. Spurgeon, who, a gorilla. At last a whole gorilla was brought to
amidst arduous labours and no common anxieties, England, and under the inspection of Professor
found time to afford amusem :nt and to promote Owen and Mr. Bartlett, of the Crystal Palace, the
se cial intercourse among those who were in the habit barrel in which it was enclosed was opened, but the
of listening to him as a minister. (Cheers.) Having smell was so exceedingly bad that all ran away.
adverted to the object of the society on whose be (Laughter.) There was no chance of standing
half the lecture would be given, the chairman said, against the gorilla, he was so exceedingly offen-
whether Mr. Spurgeon admitted that that interest- sive ; but Mr. Bartlett, feeling that so rare an ani-
ing creature (pointing to the gorilla) was their first mad should not be lost, had him taken to Norwood.
cousin, and in the course of time the state of things No doubt those of the inhabitants of Norwood
might be revere red, and they might have a gorilla whom he addressed remembered a bad smell in that
giving a lecture on Mr. Spurgeon, instead of Mr. • neighbourhood in 1858. (Laughter.) It might
Spurgeon delivering a lecture on the gorilla— possibly have been caused by the gorilla, who was
(laughter)—or whether he discarded the relation- placed in a great field at Norwood, as it was thought
ship, he would not venture to predict. This, how- fresh air might do him good after having been so
ever, he would venture to say, that that gorilla long " eabined, cribbed, and confined." (Laughter.)
might have witnessNl scenes of which they might This specimen was afterwards exhibited in the
be ashamed, and in which their nearer relations had Crystal Palace, and was now in the British Museum.
taken a part. Englishmen had penetrated portions Then came the 22 gorillas which had been brought
of Africa with a rum bottle in one hand to this country by M. Da Chaillu. Now, what was
and gold for buying slaves in the other. That fated the gorilla ? He was an enormous ape, which
rum, with the accompanying habit of drunkenness, claimed to approach nearer to man than any other
which seemed to be thought a peculiar qualification creature. How near he approached he would leave
of the Anglo-Saxon race, did much to bring about them to judge. A claim to be considered their first
misery and wretchedness and to exterminate tribes cousins had been put in on behalf of the chimpan_
in that country. He trusted, however, that the zee and other animals, but these were matters
time would come when the Anglo-Saxon would nu to be settled by learned scientific men. Dr. Darwin
longer bring the rum bottle to the land which the might also assert that his
great grandfather's
gorilla inhabited. (Cheers.) grandfather's father was a guinea pig, or that he
Mr. SPURGEON, on presenting himself, was re- originally descended from an oyster, or something
ceived with most enthusiastic &leers. He said he of that sort. (Laughter.) Now, he demurred to
bad no notion that a fourth of those he saw would that, and he did so upon his own account. Many
bre present, and expressed his regret that so many of his friends might choose to claim relationship to
had been turned away from the doors. Perhaps the oyster, and if any Chinese were present whose
the first question he ought to answer was, why he pigtails were not eat off, they might claim to be
lectured on the gorilla. lie would give his reasons,- related to guinea pigs; but for his own part he said
and they would judge whether they were proper (turning to the gorilla), "there is a great gulf be-
ones or not. It was a growing opinion in his mind, tween you and me, and neither can I pass to you,
that the human animal needed one sort of amuse- nor you to me." (Cheers.) There was the story of
ment or another, and that if you did not give him the man with the bad £5 note. He laid it down,
the right sort he would certainly seek the wrong. and ran away from it as hard as he could. He
God so adapted man's nature that he should not (Mr. Spurgeon) wished to run away as hard as he
only attend to the necessities of existence, but seek could from the gorilla, and to leave relationship
for the enjoyment of pleasures. It was no use his out of the question. (Laughter.) Still, after all,
constantly saying in the pulpit, " You must not go there was wonderful likeness, and it was most
to the public-house ,or the theatre." The reply humiliating ; but even if an exact fat simile of man
would be, "We want something of the sort, and if could be discovered, if it were destitute of a living
you do not give us the right thing we will certainly soul, the difference between the two would be in-
take to the wrong." (Cheers.) Mr. Spurgeon then finite. (Cheers.) • The gorilla was enormously
explained that, seeing the success which had atten- strong, and very courageous. M. Da Chaillu said
ded his lectures in the schoolroom, he had readily he never saw the male gorilla run away, and that
complied with the request to deliver this lecture, the males invariably threw their protection round
observing that his only object in life was to benefit the females. The worst gorillas were bachelor
his fellow-creatures. The best way to elevate them gorillas. (Laughter.) He hoped he addressed none
was to preach the Gospel of Christ, but that did not of that class. (Continued laughter.) From this sub-
prevent his using other means besides. Lectures jest Mr. Spurgeon digressed to the softening in-
on scientific or other subjects, in which he was fluence of female society, and said that the best
able to throw out useful hints upon dress, cleanli- thing every bachelor could do was to take under his
ness, economy, and temperance, did good service sheltering wing one who could give him more than
as well as.preaching the Gospel. These were his he could give her. (Laughter.) With regard to the
reasons fdr giving the lecture, and if they were country inhabited by the gorilla, he said it was in-
not satisfactory to his audience they were to habited by a great many tribes whose names he
him, and that was generally enough for him. could not pretend to pronounce, as. they could only
(Laughter and cheers.) Now, was M. Da Chaillu's be correctly given by a Welshman standing upon
book on the gorilla true or not ? They saw M. his head. (Laughter.) Many of them were great
Da Chaillu himself present, and when they looked traders, but the rule among them appeared to
at him they would hardly think he was able to be that " honesty was the worst policy." These
shoot a gorilla, or to bring home as many as 22. people had a firm belief in witchcraft, which
(Laughter.) But he (Mr. Spurgeon) believed he rendered their existence miserable, as they sas-
hed done it. (Cheers.) He would enter into thae petted even their wives and children of evil arts
question of the truth of his book as if he were ab- with the intention of depriving
'When them of health and
bent. he first read M. Da Chaillu's work, he life. The most diabolical cruelties were consequently
thought it was a very wonderful book; but he knew practised, and if a man wanted to get rid of
that God made wonderful creatures, and he was not another he had only to say he was suspected of
surprised at a wonderful story. Since, however, the cruelty, and his iife was forfeited. If any one in
lecture h.arrorti
---... been
taannounced, he had received scores that meeting thought that it was unlucky to spill
of letters
would ruin hin,,,,,ni ji.orus friends who thought he salt, to give a friend a pair of scissors, or to begin
about the gorilla. if he believed the stories told work on Friday, he would say to him, "Away with
therefore sat down to form such ideas," as they were derogatory to God, and
an impartial opinion tie
of
his
sPoina the book, and he would only fit for heathens and brutes. (Cheers.) He
state the result
that he was no great Yestigation. It was true next adverted to the subject of slavery, which he
naturalist and for any learned said was the most abject, iniquitous, infamous, and
opinions on the subject thaYcinera:uys.tlirk to Professor devilish of all crimes, and that it was better that
Owen, and possibly to Mr.
y Adcertis but certainly not the hurricane of war should sweep away the t.
to him. In the /1/ornin-
pes t-
er let
reared attacking M. Du Chaillu,ters had ap- lence than that it should b 3 suffered to destroy the
James Grant, the editor, and ho d . Ini:t h' knew
Mr.
di
souls of men ably longer. (Cheers.) After thanking
he would allow any one to be re t
proacheamik that M. Da Chaillu for the great services he had ren-
that
newspaper needlessly, but a mistaken estimate dered in paving the way for missionary efforts in
Central Africa, he concluded by repeating that he
often made of public characters like M. Du Chart:
believed in the book and in the man, and in the
He (Mr. Spurgeon) was naturally inclined to
take which his discoveries would do in years yet
Mr. s
uissr olvingg
the lido of the man who was abused, as it Was
the ocl()Tdoi:ed,.and resumed his seat amidst loud applause.
weaker one, and to do so was the most courageous
gave amusing which') kegetont
course. For the last two days he had read M. Du views were then exhibited, and
Chaillu's book, night and day, and the first question descriptions of each,
he put to himself was, "Is it not full of stories ?" titter. p the vast congregation in a continual
• g a vete of thanks to
Might there not be in it a smattering of truth and The CHAIRMAN, in ro a groat deal of invention ? He looked back to the Mr. Spurgeon, said that npoohsionn-e.st-hearted English-
past, and he recollected that Bruce, the great Abys- man could fail to sympathis
e with his denunciation
sinian traveller, was thought to be an impostor, of slavery, observing that Lord Palmerston, the
though they now knew that ho spoke nothing but present Prime Minister, had done as muchon,
as any
The man after Clarkson, Wilberforce, and Brougham,
the truth. So, again, with regard to Japan.
Dutch stories respecting that country, which were to abolish that abominable traffic. In reference to
supposed to be pure fictions, had been verified by the attacks upon M. Du Chaillu's book, he said that
recent travellers. The narratives of M. Du Chaillu what he stated in its pages he believed to be sub.
1...we...Lc° not more incredible than the stories related in stantially true. (Cheers.)
...two/0 bye, 1414 now tang -asto be Tii le I. pv 014jAVi ill §oo2llslillg tilQ propoitign,

AIR. SPURGEON ON THE " GORILLA."