Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-05-24
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VOL. XXXIV.'

mails, and where, from time to time, they
had seated themselves to chew the canes
they had borne off. The chase began now
to be very exciting. We had agreed to
return to the women and their guards after
we should have discovered their probable
course, and this was now done. To make
sure of not alarming eur prey, we moved
the whole party a little way forward,
where some leafy huts, built by passing
traders, served for shelter, and having here
slowed the women, who have lively tear
OF the gorillas, in consequence OF various
stories current among the tribes of women
having been carried off in the woods by
the fierce animals, we prepared once more
to set out in chase. Looking again at our
guns, we started off. confess that l was
never more excited in my life, for years L
had heard of the terrible roar OF the Gorilla,
of its vast strength, its fierce courage, II,
unhappilly only wounded by shot.
We descended hill, crossed stream on
q fallen log, and presently approached some
huge boulders of granite. Along side of
these lay an immense dead tree, and about
this we saw many evidences OF the very
recent presence of the gorilla. Our approach
was very cautious. We were divided in
two parties. Makinda led one and the
other. We surrounded. the granite block
behind which Makinda supposed the GO
rillas to be hiding. Guns cooked and In
hand, we advanced through the dense
wood, which cast a gloom event in midday
over the whole scene. looked at the men
and saw plainly that they were even in
greater excitement than was. Slowly we
pressed on through the dense bush, lest we
should alarm the beasts. Makinda was to
go to the right of the rock, while took the
left.s Unfortunately he got in advance of
me. The watchful animals saw him. Sud-
denly l was startled by a strange, discord
ant, half human, devilish cry,. and beheld
four gorillas running in the thick of the
forest. We fired, but hit nothing. Then
we rushed in pursuit, but they knew the
woods better than we did, and could run
faster than we did. Nevertheless caught
a glimpse of one of the animals again, but
an intervening tree spoiled my mark and |
did not fire. When we could pursue no
more we returned slowly to our camp,
where the women and men were anXiously
expecting us. AS they ran on their hind
legs these gorillas looked tearfully like
hairy men, their head down, their body
Inclined forward; the whole appearance
was like men running for their lives, and L
ceased to wonder that the natives have the
widest superstition about these ''wild
men of the woods" In our absence the
women had built large fires. l changed
my clothes that had become wet through
by the frequent torrents and bogs we had
passed through during our chase; then sat
down to our supper of plantdin that had
been cooked in the meantime. Applause.
AS we lay by the fire in the evening, before
going to sleep, the adventures of the day
were talked over to those who had not fol-
lowed us, and hence came some curious
stories of the gorilla. / listened in silence
to the conversation, which was not ad-
dressed to me, and was rewarded by hear
ing the stories as they are believed, and not
as a stranger would be apt to draw them
out by questions. 1t was quite a treat for
/ ~ kl,,k% EN,,-
demos women were walking together
through the woods when suddenly an i'm
mense gorilla stepped into che path, and
clutching one of tue women bore her oil in
spite of the screams and struggles OF both.
The other woman returned to the village
and related the story. Of course her COM
panion was given up as lost, Great was
The surprise, therefore, when, few days
after, she returned to the village. She re-
lated that she had eventually escaped from
the gorilla. Yes" said one of the men,
that was man that had turned into goril-
la :" which explanation was received with
general grunG OF approval, for these people
believe that some men have turned into GO
rillas. Such gorillas the natives believe can
never be killed, and these possessed beasts
are according to them endowed with the
intelligence of man, united to the strength
and the ferocity of the beast. No wonder the
poor African breads so terrible being as his
Imagination thus conjures up. Another man
told, how some years ago party of gorillas
were found in field of sugar cane, tying
UP the canes in regular bundles, prepara-
tory to carrying 1t away. The natives at
tackled them, but were routed, several kill
ed, while others were carried away by the
gorilllas, but in a few days they returned
home uninjured, with the hOrrid exception
that the nails of their fingers and toes had
been torn off by their captors. Then came
another story, that some years ago man
suddenly disappeared from his village. 1t
is probable that he was carried OFT by
leopard, but as no news came of him, ma
tive superstition invented a cause tor his
absence. 1t was related and believed that,
as he walked through the woods one day,
he was suddenly changed into horrible
gorilla, which continually haunted the
neighborhood of the village. Here several
spoke and mentioned names OF men now
dead whose spirits were now known to be
dwelling in gorillas. Finally, the story
which is current among all the tribes who
are at all familiar with the gorilla, was re-
lated that this animal lies in wait in the
lower branches of the trees, watching Tor
people who go to and fro, aud when one
passes sufficiently near grasp the l,tckless
fellow with his powerful feet, and draws
him up into the tree, where he quietly
chokes him.. Of course, the secluded habits
of this animal, his enormous strength, its
somewhat close resemblance to man help
| to fill the natives with curious supersti-
tions regarding it, aud went to sleep with
the face of the gorilla before my eyes and
the stories of the natives concerning the
beast ringing in my ears. (Laughter0 The
| next morning when l awoke, / asked my
self, is there any truth in those stories of
the gorilla and of his gigantic strength and
SO forth? Several days were spent in
| truitless endeavors to see gorillas.
Another day we saw several gorilla tracks,
and finally divided our party in the hope
1 of surrounding those whose tracks were
very plain and fresh. l had hardly got
away from my party three hundred yards,
when heard the report OF gun, then of
three more, going of one after another.
OF course l ran back as fast as could, and
hoped to see dead animal before me. l
was once more disappointed. My Mbon-
demos fellows had fired at female, had
wounded her, aud saw the clots OF blood
which had marked her track, but she had
made good her escape. We set in pursuit,
but there, in these Impenetrable Jungles,
man can only creep where the beast would
run. Night came upon US, and we camped
in the forest. Next morning we pushed on
for the densest and most impenetrablep part
! Hour alter hour passed by, and yet no sign
of gorillas. Suddenly l noticed ahead a
noise as of some one breaking down
branches of trees. This was the gorilla;
knew at once by the looks of my men. We
looked once more carefully at our guns; ]
examined also mine to make sure that all
was right, and then we march eG on eau
tiously. The singular noise OF the breaking
of the Tree branches continued. We walked
with the greatest care, making no noise at
all. We pushed on until Finally we thoughC
we saw through the thick woods the moving
of the branches and small trees which the
greast beast was tearing down, probably to
get from them the berries he lives on. Sud-
denly, as we were yet creeping along, in a
silence which made a heavy breath