Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-10-04
Adventures in africa.

The following interesting extracts are
taken from new work, entitled "Explo-
rations and Adventures in Equatorial At
rica, by Paul Du ChaiIlu. the discoverer
of the Gorilla.
Suddenly, as we were yet creeping along,
in silence that made heavy breath seem
loud and distinct, the woods were at once
filed with the tremendous barking rear of
the gorilla. Then the underbrush swaved
rapidly just ahead, and presently just be-
fore US stood an immense male gorilla
he had gone through the Jungle on his all
fours bat when he saw our party he
erected himself and looked US boldly in the
face. He stood about dozen yards from
US and was sight, l think, never to fer
get, So near six feet high, Che proved
two inches Shorter. with immense body,
huge chest, and great muscular arms, with
fercely- -glaring, large deep gray eyes, and
hellish expression Of face, which seemed
to NE like some nightmare vision thus
stood before US this king Of the African for
ests. He was not afraid Of US. He stood
there and beat his breast with his hugo
fsts till it sounded like an immense bass
drum, which is their mode of offering def
ancs; meantime giving vent to roar after
roar, The roar Of the gorilla is the most
singular and awful noise heard in these Af-
riean woods, It begins with a sharp roar
ike an angry deg. and then glides into
deep bass rel, which literally and closely
resembles distant thunder along the sky
for which have somatimes been tempted
to take it where I did net see the animal
So deep is it that it seems to proceed less
from tke mouth and throat than from the
deep throat and vast paunch. His eyes
began to flash ferc2r fire as we stood mo-
tionless On the defensive and the crest of
short hair which stands Oh bis forehead be-
gan to twitch rapidly up and down, while
his powerful fangs were shown as he sent
forth 8 thuRderous roar. And now he re-
minded NE of some hellish dream creature
being eff that hideeus order, half man and
bali beast, which We find pictured by some
old artists in representations of the infer
nal regions. He advanced few steps and
then stepped to utter that hideous roar
again, advanced again, and finally stopped
when at distance of about six yards from
Us. And here as be began another Of his
roars and beating his breast in q rage, we
fred and killed Lin. With a groan which
had something terribly human in it. and
yet was full Of brutishness, it fell forward
on It's face, The body shook convulsively
for few minutes, and then all was quiet
death had done its wark, and had ieis-
ure to examine the large body. It prov
ed to be five feet ten inches high, and the
muscular development of the arms and
breast showed what strength it had pes
scsged
Ougouia has the reputation of being the
greatest hunter of elephants in all the
country about here. As he could speak
Mpengwe, he told me of some of his ad-
ventures, which proved, indeed, that be
vas daring and expert fellow. Going
out to the hunt one day he met two ele-
plants. Being alone he carried but one
gun, and would have retreated and watch
ed for safer chance; but the great
beasts saw him and did not give him an
opportunity. He was obliged to make
stand, and taking good aim, killed one ell
ephant. Unfortunately it was the female.
and the other seeing bis partner fall, i'm
mediately rushed at him. He turned to
retreat, and caught his foot in a trailing
vine, The more he struggled the less he
got loose, and meantime his pur8uer was
tearing down everything in its way, and
was almost on top of him when his foot got
loose. and in desperation he swung himself
into young sapling which stood at hand
Scarce had be done this when the elephant,
trumpeting with rage, was beneath him.
He seized the sapling with his trunk. and
swayed it violently back and forth, deter
mined to pull it down. But as it swung
one side, Ogouia, nimble through despera-
tion was able to catch at another which
stood near, and when the elephant seiz-
ed this be gave himself great swing, and
caught the outstretched branch of huge
tull grown tree, climbing to safe height,
in which he could afford to laugh at the
vain rage of his enemy.
Plain Talk.