The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-05-08

JOURNEY 10 AsHANeo-LANp; and further Penetration
into Equatorial Africa by PAUL DU cAAMLU. author
Of Explorations in Equatorial Africs. With Map and
Illustrations. New York: D. Appleton Co., Broad
way, 1857.
As the previous volume of the author has excit-
ed great deal Of discussion in scientific and lit
erary, circles, ne will give brief sketch OF his
life before we examine his new book. Nj. Du
CHA1LIU was born in Paris, in 1882. He came to
the United States when quite boy. From his
earliest youth he was devoted to studies OF geog-
raphy and natural history, and retained in vivid
freshness, the dream, present, we believe, with
almost every boy of visiting, in after life, foreign
lands and desert wilds. In October, 1855, at the
age Of twenty three, he left New York on his first
journey Of exploration to Western Africa. With
the enthusiasm natural to youth, he selected for
the scene Of his labors region where he had rea-
son to suppose no white man had preceded him.
he travelled in the immediate vicinity OF the equa-
tor, q distance OF some four hundred to five hun
dred miles. Travelling in these parts is attended
with all but insupcrable difficulties there being
no beasts Of burden whatever. The fall of rain
there is at rate entirely unknown in this part of
the world &C ,ording to our travellers measure
ment two hundred and twenty-five inches in the
twelve months the thermometer not unfrequently
reaching 148 degrees. With such meteorological
conditions we need not say that the country is
ttsiokly." III. DU CHA11LU had repeated attacks Of
Atri IAN fever, and his strong constitution alone
enabled him to brave such terrible hindrances to
his enterprise. He was all the while surrounded
exclusively by natives, not having been able to in
dhce single white man to accompany him.
Classical readers may remember that in the
Periplus, Oh, voyage Of HANNo, the Carthsgenian
written more than two thousand years ago, he
makes allusion to the animal known IS the gorilla
son the third day." he says, "we came to a bay
called the Horn Of the South. In the recess was
an Island like the first, having lake, and in this
there was another island full of wild men. But
much the greater part Of them were women, with
hairy bodies, whom the Interpreters called goril-
las. So But pursuing them, we were not
able to take the men; they all escaped from US by
their great agility, being crennobates, that is to
say, climbing precipitous rocks and trees, and de-
Tending themselves ny throwing stones at us. We
took three women, who bit and tore those who
caught them, and were unwilling to follow. We
were obliged, therefore, to kill them, and take
their skins Off which skins were brought to Car.
thage, for We did not navigate farther, provisions
becoming scarce"
it was the perusal Of these traditions, coupled
with the reports current among the negroes Of the
coast that led NJ DU CHAHLU to venture upon
this dangerous journey into the interior. The dis
coveries which he made then amply rewarded him
for he perils which he encountered. In ornitho-
logy he added upwards of sixty new species to the
existing classifcations and to that Of quadrupeds
more than thirty, among which were three new
,;varieaeso Of apes. On getting to the hesd waters
of the Ntambounay, about Eve thousand feet above
tbs level Of the sea he made his first acquaintance
With the gorilla. We cannot do better than to
givethe account Of the meeting in his own words;
al Suddenly, as we were creeping along in silence
which made heavy breath seem loud and dis
tnct, the woods we're at once filed with the
tremendous barking Ioar Of the gorilla. Then the
mderbrush swayed rapidly just ahead, and
presently before us stood an immense male
gorilla. He had gone through the jungle on his
himself and looked us boldly in the face. BE stood
about dozen yards from US, and was sight
think I shall never forget. Nearly six feet high
(heeproyed four in3hes shorter), with immense
body, huge chest, and great muscular arms, with
Hercely glazing large, deep gray eyes, anda helsh
expression OF face, which seemed to me some
nightmare vision; thus stood before 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 bass drum,
which is their mode Of offering defiance, meantime
giving vent to roar after roar. q =. 3
j.. ~ This monster N. DU CHAnLu shot, and the body