Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-08-12
Tho Gorilla.
lRosfon.

Tho Gorilla.
In Dickcns's Az The lear Round we find the fol-
lowing description OF this animal, which is said to
be most closely allied. in structure, to the human
FORM Of any ui tho brute creation,
"rhe gorilla is Of the average height of man.
five feet ak inches his brain cara il how aud mar
row, and, as the FIRE part Of tho skull is high, and
there is II ve'y prominent ridge above tho eyes,
the top Of the head is perfectly tat aud the hrow
with its thick integumcnt. forms 'scowlng pen
thouse the ,yes.' Couple with this deep
leal-colnrcd skin, much wrinkled, prominent
jaw with the canine teeth in the malcs) of huge
size, n rcccding chin. and we have mn oxasgcrn-
ton of the lowest and most forbidding type Of hu-
man physiosnomy. The neck is short, tho head
pokes forward. Tho relative proportions Of the
body anA limbs arc nearer tloso OF nun, yet they
nrc of more unSain!y aspect than in any ether Of
the brute kind. Long shapeless arms, thick mud
muscular, with scarce any diminution oi size de-
serving the name Of wrist (for at the smallest they
are fourteen inches round, while a strong mans
wrist is not above eight; wide thick hnnd, the
palm long, and tho fingers shurt, swollen. aud
gouty looking: capaclons chest; br"ad should
ers legs also thick and shapeess, destitute Of cnlf
and sery muscular, yet short; n hand like foot,
with thumb to it. 'oi huge dimension aud por-
tcntous power ofgrast.' No wander tho lion skulks
heforc this monster. and even the elephant is buf
fed hy his .dctivity, strength.
The teeth indicate n vegetable Diet but the repast
is sometimes varied with eggs, or n brpod Of young
birds. The chief reason OF his enmiiy to the ell
cpeant appears to be. not that it eyor inicntionu-
y Injuries him, but merely, thatit shares his taste
for certain iavorite fruits. And when, from Gis
watch-tuwcr in the upper branches at II tree, ho
pcrceives the elephant helping himselfto these de-
licacies, he steals along the bongh. and. striking
its sensitive proboseis u violent blow with the club
with which he Is almost always armed. drives off
tie startled giant. ,rumpcti"y shrilly with rage
and pain.
Toward. the negroes, the gorilla seems to cher
ish an inplacahe hatred hc attacks them quito
unprovoked If pnrty If blacks approach un-
c'naiously within range Of II tree haunted hy uno
# these wood demons swinging rapidly down to
the lower branches, he clutches with his thumbed
foot, at the nearest Of them, his green eyes flash
with rage, his hair stands end. and the skin n
hove the eye. dawn rnpidiy up and down. gives
him fendsh scow. Sometimes during their ex.
cnrrions III quest nl ivory, in those gloomy forests,
the natives will first disco, the proximity of 90
rilla by the sudden mysterious Disappearance of
their companions. The brute. angling for him
with his horrible foot dropped from II tree while
his strong arms grasp it firmly, stretches down
his huge hind. hand. seizes the hap.ss wretch by
tho throat draws him up iuto the bougbs, aud, us
soon his strug, ,les have ceased, drops him down
u strangled corpse.
A tree is the gorilla's sleeping place ly night,
his pleasantnhode by day, and his castle ul defence.
From that coignc ut advantage he waits his foe,
should the latter be llnrdy, or toolha'dy enough,
to pursue. M full grown gorilla has ever been
taken alive. A bold negro, the leader Of nm Gle
phant bunting expedition, was offered II hundred
dollars for live gorilla. If you gave me tho
weight Of yondrr hill in gold, codklH9sdo it, he
said.
Nevertheless, he has his good qualities in n
domestic point Of view he is an aminble and cx-
empnry husband and fnther, watching over his
young family with ajfect,onatc solicue, and ex
erting in their defence his utmost strength and
ferocty. The m"thers show that devotion to their
young in time Of danger. which Is the most UNI
versal Of extincts.
The gorilla constructs himself snug hammock
out oi the long, tough, slender stems Of parasitic
plants and lines 1t with the broad dr-ad irones IF
IF palms, or With long grass-a sort of led sure
ly not to be dcspissd, swung in the leafy branch
es Of a tree. BY day, hc sits on b"ugh leaning
his bnck agninst The trunk, owing to which habit,
elderly gorillas become rather build in those
gions.
-- -
Suicide OF MuRDERER.-A Ciminal Culshis
Throat in Juil--Our readers doubtless remember
- mil, l,vu