The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-01-11
The Gorilla the Connecting link Be-
tween Man and Beast.

The Gorilla the Connecting link Be-
tween Man and Beast.
A perfect specimen of the siorrilla has
been recently secured and put on exhibition
in England We NAV as we'll reply at once
to the question, Of What is a Gorrillay by
stating that it is an animal that resembles
more nearly than any other known creature
the members ofthe human fam ily and there
is this extraordinary fact relative to it, that
it has been accurately described upon sever
al occasions before it was seen, or was ever
known to exist with perfect certainty. Some
ten years since. traveller in the interior Of
Western Africa saw native tribe engaged in
worshipping what appeared t. be human
skull set upon pole. The curiosity Of the
traveller was excited, and with considerable
trouble he obtained possession of the IDOL
and forwarded to Prof Owen for his opinion
respecting the nature Of the animal of which
it had once formed part Pref Owen de-
cided that the creature did not belong to any
"a the species of the chimpanaee or indeed
to any Of the monkey tribe tifat it was al :
together unrepresentel by any specimens Of
natural history known to the scientific word
and the learned Professor esnbpdied his
views on the subject in a very Interesting pa
per, which he read before the Geological So
ciety.
At length, after extraordinary exertions, an
animal was captured, and pacled in a cask
of spirits of wine duly arrived in this coun-
try, q few weeks since, and is found to cor
respond in the most minute respect with the
description of it by Prof Owen. The Cor
rilla is native of Western Africa, and is
known to exist it is said, in very large num-
bers in the Gaboon districts, where they are
among the most formidable of the wild ami
mails of the forest. The present specimen,
which has been most carefully skinned and
preserved by Mr.. Bartlett, the ,axid6rmist Of
the Crystal Palace. under the direction Of
Professor Owen is rather more than five feet
in height. 1t is a male, known to be young
by the state of its teeth, and the condition of
the sutures Of the skull The fore legs or
arms are ofgreat length and Of prodigious
strength, greatly surprising that Of any hui
man arm the hind legs are comparatively
short and are well adapted for tree climbing.
In features the animal is yerY much like a
negro, and tbs orbits over the eyes are con-
siderable projected The teeth are formed
almost precisely as in man, and unlike the
monkey chimpanzee or ourang-ontang, they
are of great strength, and in the skull which
Wtb AISb SCuS OSCE W tblo CcutEtiy, tiiC Cd
mines were nearly as large and strong as
those of a lion. The hair on the upperpart
Of the head of the Gorilla is reddish brown;
upon the cheeks, the smooth hair is of a
grcyish hue the back il covered with dun or
mouse colored hair; the hair upon the arm,
from the hand to the elbow, il black, and
grows upwards from The hand toward the
elbow. The chest is nearly hare There
were thirteen wounds IN the body 81 the an
ima; and two bullets were extracted from it
one from wound which had been healed
over.
The Gorilla mad to all appearances died
of starvation; his body was In most enact
atad condition. and his tongue vas covered
with dim white coating, rs though caused
by excessive fever. 1t is thought that the
wonnd inflicted upon him prevented his be-
ing able to procure tbs necessary supplies Of
food. These animals are gregarus and it
is stated by the patives that they frequently
appear in considerable forces sack the villa
yes carry away young children, and deyour
them and further, they have a very ugly
custom of attacking men, and wrenching off
the heads Of those whom they attack. Ifone
Of these creatures is fired at, or attacked, the
whole tribe comes down to the rescue, and
escape from the combined assault is impossi-
BILE. How far these statements NAV be cor
rect there IL at present no means of knowing.
but is very certain, from the formation Of
the teeth, and the eapstrength OF the ami
NAL, that the Gorilla is not 4 vegetarian in
his HABITS, and that he would have no scru-
pies in deyouring any flesh that might come
in his way.--London Paper.
NJ JUDaK SINcLAIRs CHARGs TO THg GRAND
JURY or UTAH, ON PoLYGAMY.--Tou should
inquire fully into this IN after an II it be true
that p0lygamy does prevail In this Territory,
and i sought TO be incorporated III one Of our
social institutions, into the social and political
body of the country, it - proper that 80 extra
ordinary APPREHENSION should b. presented to
this court, under the solemn sanction OF your
finding. Inquire int the extent 10 which thi.
practice prevails, and report TO the court your
conclusion on the subject. If tie Legislature
OF this Territory then desires TO conforin TO the
code Of each and every State and Territory in
the Union, upon your presentnent they will
know the tact that polysamy does prevail here,
aud they can act accordingly. II Congress can
stretch out its arms to enforce tho principles
that underlie the American social laDric, upon
your presentment Congress then can act
Truth can harm nobody. Find that truth
gentlemen. IN respect TO this ques,Iou and. ac-
eording tony reading OF tt0slaw, your respon-
aibilities and those Of this Court viii be at an
end respecting poligany.
An rioua nnhi;c w;iI ~ ni>...I 49,