The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-07-11
From ROatled9es Illustrated Ndtarat History


modern biologists, and very little is at present
known of its habits The first modern writer who
brought the Gorilla before the notice of the public,
seems to be Mr.. Bowdch, the well-known African
traveller; for it is evidently of the Gorilla that he
speaks under the name of lngheena. The natives
of the Gaboon and its vicinity the name Gina,
when mentioning the Gorilla. The many tales too,
that are told OF the habits, the gigantic strength
and the general appearance of the Ingheena are
precisely those which are attributed to the Cor
lila.
Ofthe Ingheena, Mrs. Lee formerly Mrs. Bow
dich) speaks as follows: at is in equatorial Afri
ca that the most powerful of all the Quadrumaua
live, far exceeding the orang outan, and even the
pongo of Borneo. -
''Mr. Bowdch and myself were the first to re-
vive and confirm long-forgotten and vague report
OF the existence of such creature, and many
thought that, as we ourselves had not seen il. we
had been deceived by the natives. They assured
us that these huge creatures walk constantly on
their hind feet, and never yet were taken alive;
that they watch the actions of men, and initiate
them as nearly as possible. Like the ivory hun
ters they pick up the fallen tusks OF elephants, but
not knowing where to deposit them they carry their
burdens about until they themselves drop, and even
die from fatigue that they built huts nearly in the
shape of those of men, but live on the outside and
that when one of their children dies, the mother
carries it in her until it falls to pieces; that
one blow of their paw will kill a man, and that no
thing can exceed their ferocity.'
Its existence evidently known to some adven-
furious VOydEerS, more tndn TWO thousand wears
ago, and record has been preserved of these ira
wells.
Somewhere about the year $50 B. c., the Cartha-
ginians then a most powerful and hourishng ma
non, organized naval expedition for the purpose
of examining the coasts and of founding colonies
The command of the fleet. which consisted of sixty
large vessels containing nearly thirty thousand men
and women, together with provisions and other ne
cessaries, was entrusted TO Hanno, who wrote me
moirs of the voyage in a small work that is well
known by the title of the 'Peripus," or the Cir
cumnavigatiOn of Hanno. In the course of this
voyage he founded seven colonies and after advanc-
ing as far as the modern Sierra Leone was forced
to return for want of provisions.
The whole treatise is one of great interest espe.
caiy In the present day, when travels of discovery
in Africa have been prosecuted with so much ener.
gy. The passage, however, which bears on the pre-
sent question is briefly as follows After narratinp
the meeting with these creatures on an island of
the west coast of Africa, he proceeds to say
"There were many more females than males. all
equally covered with hair all parts of the BODY
The interpreters called them Gorillas. On pursuing
them could not succeed in taking a single male;
they all escaped with astonishing swiftness, and
threw stones at us; but we took three fem aes who
defended themselves with much violence that we
were obliged to kill them, but we brought their
skins stuffed with straw to Carthage" 1t is eyi-
dent that Hanno Cor Annon AS his name is sometimes
given considered these Gorias to be the yeritable
savage human inhabitants of the sland perhaps "a
Their more savage and powerful than ordinary, and
rather less given to clothing; which latter deicien-
ey however, was supplied by the natural covering
Of hair.
For two thousand years nothing was heard of
the Gorilla except floating rumors of satyr-haunted
woods, and of wild men who used to make their an
pearance at distant intervals and then to disappear
.'of which kind it is said, "there are still in Eth
opa." But by degrees the truthfulness of the mar
ratve was made clear; detached bones were discoy-
cred and sent to Europe, and at last the complete
animal made its appearance Indeed we are much
indebted to this straightforward and supplemented
sailor, for his unadorned narrative, which forms
such favorable contrast to the travellers tales of
later voyagers, who on some small substratum of
truth raised such enormous fctions as the mono-
pods, the pigmes and cranes, the acephali, and
other prodigies
At present we have but very slight acouaint
ance with the mode of life adopted by the Gorilla
in a wild state, or even with its food. For know
ledge of the habits of animals is only to be gained
by long residence in their vicinity, and by care
full watching. With some creatures this is an easy
task, but there are some which are so wary. so ac
tive, and fierce, that close inspection is almost
an impossibility. Among the worst of such objects
Is the Gorilla In the first place it is only to be
found in the thickest jungles of the Gaboon, far
from man and his habitations. Then it is wary. as
are all the apes and it is said to be so ferocious
that hit sees man, it Immediately attacks him. so
that there would be little time for gaining any
knowledge OF the creatures do nestle habits and
scarcely any likelihood of surviving to tell the re-
suit of the investigation.
AZ JuuSc Ny Iut structure OF the skeleton, and of
the entire form, the strength of an adult male must
be prodigious. The teeth are heavy and powerful,
and the great CANNES or tusks are considerably
more than an inch in their projection from the Jaw
Inc JaW-oone too, is enormously developed and the
strength OF the muscles that move it. is indicated
BY the deep bony ridges that run over the top of
the SKULL and in different parts of the head As is
usual among such animals. the tusks of the male
Gorilla are nearly double the size of those of the fe-
male apes
Although the body is comparatively small, as are
the hinder legs, yet the breadth of shoulder and
length OF arm are singularly great; while an ordi-
nary human hand placed on that of the ape, dwin-
dies down to insignihcance before the huge mus
cular paw. The thumb of the binder paws is
enormously large, as is well shown in the engray.
ing.
There is treacherous and cruel aspect about thi;
hnd loot, with its enormous thumb: and if all tale:
De true the foot bellies not its character. The ma
tives of the Gaboon country hold the Gorilla !,
great dread, fearing it even more than the lior
itself, on account Gifts furtively murderous dispo
sition.
Concealed among the thick branches of the for
est trees, the Gorilla itself unseen, watches the
approach of the unsuspecting negro Should he
pass under the tree, betide him; for the Gorilla
lets down its terrible hind foot, grasps its victim
ROUND the throat, hits him from the earth, and fin
ally drops him on the ground, dead.
Sheer malignity must prompt the animal to sllch
deed, Tor 1t cares not to eat the dead mans flesh;
but tinds tendish qualification in the mere act OF
killing. 1t is kind of sporting; though the game
is of better quality than that which is ususll
chased over the fields, shot in the air, or hooked
out of the water; not 10 be eaten, but for the
sport
Such a deed as the capture of an adult Gorilla
has never been attempted and much less achievad
by the human inhabitants of the same land. There
are many reasons T this circumstance
In the hrst place, the negroes seeing that the
Gorilla is possessed of strength. ferocitv and nti
less cruelty, conceive that the animal must be spir
10 Of Df H.. l.
lower stages of mans progress he does honor 10
physical force alone, and values his ruler in pro-
portion to his power, brutality and heartIessness
IL Is the best boast OF savage chief no matter of
what nation and OF what country. that he has ssno
heart. The savage crouches in terror before the
inaged incarceration of the evil principle. and
adores, for he can only worship the object of his
Tears. His belief is truly that of the demops-.he
peieves and trembles;" Reverence for the Unborn
royalty of the Gorilla does not save the animal
from the fate of being eaten whenever it falls vic
nm to the weapons of its negro assailants Perhaps
the very feeling of reverence NAV incte to the act
IN manner analogous to the filial piety of the
Scythians, which was best shown bv killing their
aged parents and dutifully eating them.
But putting aside the terro RS of diabolism which
are engralned IN the native African mind the task
OF capturing living and fullgrown Gorilla is well
calculated to appal the heart of any man. TIL
culinary maevolence of the animal are so great.
That the uncivilized Africans may well be excused
Tor their dread of its powers.
ct it does not follow that although the Africans
nave Jailed, Europeans should not succeed The ma
i've Africans have not dared to attempt the capture
OF the elephant, although Europeans have succeed
ed In that endeavor and have subdued that terrible
Zoe; converting it into docile rvant, and even
making 1T an attached and intelligent friend
once or twice the young Gorilas have been cap
tured, In spite of the furious resistance which is
Inaae oy their male friends; but from some reason
'hey nave always died in very short time.
, Cunning as is the Gorilla and ingenious in some
thlngs to striking degree its intelligence is but
limited, and the animal exhibits such unexpected
OF fatulty that it we'll shows the distipc
tloh between cunning and wisdom, and proves itself
10 pc put an animal and nothing more
III IL hnds the remnant of fire which has bean ra
hnquished by the persons who kindled it, the Cor
lila is greatly charmed with the novel sensation
produced by artificial warmth, and sits bv the
bright wonder with much satisfaction. As the fire
fails and the glowing brands sink into white ashes
the animal draws closer to the expiring embers and
does not leave them until all heat has left the spot.
But 1t never thinks keeping up the fire by placing
lresh fuel upon it, and does not even learn to imi
tate that action, which it may often have seen per-
formed by the hunters who kindled the fire. and
Kept 1t well supplied with fuel during the NIGHT
1t Is most providential that the beast is devoid of
TINS faculty, for with the usual perseverance of the
monkey race IN such cases, it would probably con-
ablaze. i'Sei was
It's said also, that when the Gorilla makes an
lncurslon into sugar plantation it has sufficient
sense to bite off a number of the canes and 70 80
them into bundle for better CONVEYANCE Rat -
frequently includes several of the prowinm CO.. =; ~
its faggot and then feels woefully discomttad III ~
cause it cannot carry away the parcel which had
cost so much trouble to make. 500
The outline of the Gorillas face is most brutal l.;
character, and entirely destroys the slight resem