The Shasta courier., 1866-06-02
The Death of the Gorilla.
The capture of an infant gorilla is thus
graphically described by Du Chaillu:

brought in young gorilla alive. | cannot
describe the emotions with which l saw the
struggling little brute dragged into the vii
lage; all the hardships | had endured in
Africa were rewarded in that moment. 1t
was little fellow of between two and three
years old, two feet six i;.ches in length, and
as fierce and stubborn as grown animal
could have been.
BY the hunters account, they were going
five in number, to village near the coast,
and walking very silently through the
forest, when they heard what they imme-
diatey recognized as the cry of young
gorilla for its mother. The forest was 81
lent. 1t was about noon and they imme
diately determined to follow the cry Pres.
emily they heard it again. Gun in hand,
the brave fellows crept noiselessly toward
a clunp of wood, where the baby gorilla
evidently was. They knew the mother
would be near, and there was likelihood
that the male the most dreaded of all, might
lie there, too. But they determined to risk
all, and, if at all possible, to take the young
one alive, knowing what joy it would be
for me. Presently they perceived the bush
moving, and, crawling a little further on in
dead silence, scarce breathing with excite
ucut, tucN Ucnclu Wudb HAS SeluOu Deou
seen, even by the negroes. young gorilla.
eating some berries that grew close to the
earth. A few feet further ON sat the mother,
also eating of the same fruit.
Instantly they made ready to fire, and
none too soon, for the old female saw them
as they raised their guns, and they had to
pull triggers without delay. Happily, they
wounded her mortally, and she fell The
young one, hearing the noise of the gum ran
to his mother, hiding his face, and EN- brac-
ing her body. The hunters Immediately
rus ed toward the two, hallooing with JOY
as they ran on. But this foused the little
one, who instantly let 90 his mother, and
ran to small tree. which he climbed with
agility, where he sat and roared at them
savagely. They were now perpIexed how
to get at him no one cared to run the risk
of being bitten by the savage little beast,
and shoot it they would not. At last they
cut down the tree, and as it fell, dexterously v
threw a cloth over the head of the young
monster, and thus gained time to secure il
while it was blinded. With all these pre-.
cautions. one of them received a severe bite
on the hand, and another had piece taken
out of his leg
As the little brute, though so diminutive.
and the merest baby for age, was astonish
ingly strong, and by no means good TEN.
pered, they could not lead him. He con
stantly rushed at them, so they were obliged
to get forked stick, in which his neck was
inserted in such way that he could. not es-
cape, and yet could be kept at safe dis.
tance. In this uncomfortable way he was
brought into the village where the excite.
ment was intense. As the animal was lifted
out of the canoe in which he had come a
little way down the river he rOared and
beloved, and looked around wildly with his
wicked little eyes, giving fair warning that
if he could only get at some of US. he would
take his revenge.
| saw that the stick hurt his neck, and |
Immediately set about having a cage made
for him. In two hours we built a strong
bamboo house, with the Stats securely tied
at such distance apart that we could see
the gorilla. and it could see out. Here the
thing was Immediately deposited, and now,
for the first time, had fair chance to ex.
anime my prize. 1t was young male go
rilla, evidently not yet three years old, fully
able to walk alone, and poss ssed for it's age.
of most extraordinary strength and muscular
development. Its greatest length proved
face and hands were very black eyes not
so much sunken as in adults The hair
began at the eyebrows and rose to the crown,
where it was reddish brown 1t came
down the sides of the face in lines to the
lower jaw-much as our boards grow. The
uppe~ lip was covered with short, coarse
hair; the lower lip had longer hair The
eyelds were very slight and thin eyebrows
straight. and three quarters of an inch
long.
Dn Chaillu, having Gagged his prisoner
sought to make friends with it. This, how.
ever, the captive seemed to regard as adding
insult to injury. 1t retreated sullenly. roar
ing, to the fathermost corner of it's prison
and, when its amicable jjailor approached t,
reassure it, darted at his legs, and despite q
nimble retreat, succeeded in catching Du
Challus trowsers in his terrible grip, anC
tearing piece out.
A cup of water and some forest berrie.
were procured for the prisoner, and wher
the company had retired out of sight be con
descended 20 take his dinner. On the second
day, however, he was even more vindictive,
and outrageous than the first No one
could 60 near his cage without he roared
and leapt, and mouthed, as though nothing
short of rending his enemies to little bit,
would ever pacify him. Food was thrus
between the bars of his cage to no purpose ;
he would neither eat nor drink, ara met al
advances with the most obstinate contempt
On the fourth day he managed to gnaw
his bars asunder, and the prison was DIS
covered empty. The utmost CONSERVATION
prevailed in the camp, the hands were called
together, and recapturing expedition re
solved on. However. the cunning Joe (st
Du Chaillu christened him. had not strayec
far Returning to his room to fetch gun
terrible, yet to the explorers ears deli
cious, growing emanated from beneath the
bedstead, and there was Master Joe Gorilla
crouched down and regarding bis master
with an unmistakable touch-me if-you daI e
expression.
How to take him was puzzling question
He had shown such strength and such rag,
already. that not even l cared to run tn,
chance of being bitten in a hani-to hanc
struggle Meantime Joe stood in the mid
die of the room. looking about for his enc
mics. l dispatched some fellows for net
and, waiting rill he became quiet, opened
the door quickly and threw the net over hi
head fortunately we succeeded at the frs
throw in fatally entangling the young mon
etar Who roared friphtful1y and rtrncL on<