Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-06-27
MN icE0NTLIATNHTs NATfvEwTLDs.

puDuBneu IN IOnuOn Dy OuF cOuutty maui
Du Chaillu, among other highly interesting
description of life in Western Africa, gives
some graphic sketches of the gorilla in his
native wilds. The "what is it 2" is de.
cidedly formidable fellow. We give an
extract relating his first experience with
the gorilla
Then the underbrush swayed rapidly
Just ahead, and presently before us stood an
immense male gorilla. He had gone
through the Jungle on his all-fours, but
when he saw our party he erected himself
and looked us boldly in the face. He
stood about o dozen yards from us, and
was o sight / think shall never forget.
Nearly six feet high Che proved four inches
shorter), with immense body, huge chest,
and great muscular arms, with 6eroely-
glaring large deep gray eyes, and hell
ish expression Of face, which seemed to me
like some nightmare vision-thus stood be-
fore us this king Of the African forest.
He was not afraid of us. He stood
there and beat his breast with his huge fists
till it resounded like an immense brass
drum, which is their mode of offering de-
fance, mean time giving vent to roar after
roar.
The roar of the gorilla is the most sim
gular and awful noise heard in these Afri-
can woods. 1t begins with sharp bark,
like ON angry dog, then glides into q deep
bass roll, which literally and closely re-
sembles the roll of distant thunder along
the sky, for which have sometimes been
tempted to take it where did not see the
animal. So deep is it that it seems to pro-
ceed less from the mouth and throat than
from the deep chest and vast paunch.
His eyes began to flash fercer fire as we
stood motionless on the defensive, and the
crest Of short hair which stands on his fore
head began to twitch rapidly up aud down
while his powerful fangs were shown as he
| again sent forth thunderous roar. And
| now truly he reminded me of nothing but
some hellish dream creature--a being of
| that hideous order, half-man, half-beast,
which we find pictured by old artists in
| some representations of the Internal re-
| gions. He advanced q few steps-then
stopped to utter that hideous roar again
advanced again, and finally stopped when
at o distance Of about six yards from us.
And here, just as he began another Of his
roars, beating his breast in rage, we fired
and killed him.
With groan which had something ter
ribly human in it, and yet was full of
brutishness, he fell forward on his face
The body shook convulsively for few min
utes, the limbs moved about in q strug-
Cling way, and then all was quiet-death
had done its work, and had leisure to ex-
anime the hugo body. 1t proved to be five
feet eight inches high, and the muscular
development Of the arms and breast showed
what immense strength it had possessed.
| Subsequently to this Du Chaillu saw fe-
male gorilla sucking her infant, and the
mother having been shot, he endeavored to
| rear the little one, but without success, as
he had no food for it. lie remarks that
this seemed more docile than the other,
and, in fact it is premature to conclude as
yet that if the gorilla is caught sufficiently
young he is altogether beyond the inhu-
ence of humanity There is a skeleton of
the Caucasian man on page $40, who is
| pointing rather contemptuously at his GO
rilla companion, but it is not so certain
| that the differences between them, as esti-
mated by the superior anatomy, are not at
present little exaggerated. The writer
just refers to these perplexing questions,
which are now the province of rival physi-
ologists. lie has one chapter on the an
thropoid apes of Africa, and another on
the bony structure of the gorilla and cog
nate Species which is accompanied by the
symmetrical skeleton so superior in its
own conceit. After summing up the os-
seous peculiarities upon both sides, he
comes to the conclusion that there is great
dissimilarity between the bony frame of
man and that of the gorilla, but that there
| is also, he says, "an awful likeness, which
in the gorilla resembles an exaggerated
caricature of human being" Moreover,
to such an extent is it evident that he was
impressed by the native stories, that he
mentions that he searched continually to
ascertain whether an intermediate race,
rather several intermediate races or links,
between the natives and the gorilla might
not be found. AS he could get no nearer
to man than the gorilla himself-that is to
say, as no intermediate relatives were forth
coming, we admit that Du Chaillu's hui
man skeleton has so far reason for COM
placency that, if his ungainly companion
is connected with him in any degree, q
cousin so very distant can hardly expect
to be acknowledged at this time of day and
in the presence of good society.
On another occasion some natives brought
him young gorilla alive. ~ Gan not,
says he, describe the emotions with which
saw the struggling little brute dragged
into the village. All the hardships had
endured in Africa were regarded in tha
moment" The little fellow was between
two and three years old and two feet sil
inches high, a gorilla gaabl, who was as
fierce and stubborn as his full-grown
relatives.
The huntress had shot his mother, ant
had secured the orphan by throwing clotl
over his head while he was making hostil,
demonstrations. Z" As the little brute
though so diminutive, and the merest babl
for age, was astonishingly strong and b,
no means good-tempered, they could no
lead him. He constantly rushed at them
So they were obliged to get forked stick
in which his neck was inserted in such
way that he could not escape and yet eoul
be kept at safe distance. In this uncom
Portable way he was brought into the vii
lage." Though he was there secured in
hutch, and every effort made to tame hin
he proved to be incurably morose and il
tempered, 80 that we must infer either tbs
the gorilla babies are not born good, or tht
this one resented the circumstances of hi
capture. He escaped twice-on the fir:
occasion getting into Du Chaillus apar
ment, where he examined the furniture wit
evident surprise; and when the negroe
threw net over him he roared, kicked an
struggled, and, though held by four negroes
gave as much trouble as a drunken Irisl
man. 81 never" says the writer, ''saw
! furious beast in my life as he was. i
. darted at every one who came near, but Il
bambOos of the house, glared at us wi
venomous and sullen eyes, and in evei
, | nation showed n temner thoroughlv wick,