The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-05-09
Ou Chaillu on the Gorilla.

! In his sJourney to AshangoI Land y
NJ Du Chaiiiu gives the following &C.
count of his latest observations of the
gorilla: Toss as
! II had not been in the village long be-
! fore news came that 9orillas had been
recently seen in the neighborhood of q
plantation only half mile distant
Early in the morning of the 25th of June
wended my way thither, accompanied
/ DO one of my boys named Odango. The
plantation was large one, and situated
! on very broken ground. surrounded by
the virgin forest It was a lovely morn
ing :. the sky was almost cloudless, and
all around was still as death, except the
slight rustling of the tree tops moved
by the gentle land breeze. When l
! reached the place. had first to pick my
way through the maze of tree stumps
and half burnt logs by the side of a field
of cassada. was going quietly along
the borders Of this when I heard in the
grove of plantain tress toward which
was walking, great crashing noise, like
the breaking of trees. I Immediately
hid myself behind a bush, and was soon
gratified with the sight of female gorl
la !; but before had time to notice its
movements a second and third emerg-
ed from the masses of colossal foliage
at length no less than four came into
view. One of the females had young
one following her.
Il had an excellent opportunity Of
watching the movements of the impisli
looking band. The shaggy hides. the
protuberant abdomens, the hideous fea-
lures of these strange creatures, whose
forms SO nearly resemble man, made up
a picture like some vision in a morbid
dream. In destroying tree, they first
grasp the base of the stem with one of
their feet, and then, with their powerful
arms pull it down, a matter of not much
difficulty with so loosely formed a stem
as that of the plantain. They then set
upon the juicy heart of the tree at the
bases of the leaves, and devoured it
with great voracity. While eating they
made kind of clucking noise, expires
sive of contentment. Many trees they
destroyed apparently out of pure mis-
chief. Now aud then they stood still
and looked around. Once or twice they
seemed on the point of starting off in
alarm, but recovered themselves aud con
tinued their work. Gradually they got
nearer to the edge of the dark forest, |
IT,
on watching them that let 90 the last
chance of shooting one almost before /
became aware Of it. The next day |!
went gain with Odango to the same
spot. [ had no expectation of seeing /
gorillas in the same plantation. and was |
carrying light shot gun, having given /
my heavy double barrelled rifle to the /
boy to carry. The plantation extended /
over two hills, with a deep hollow be
tween, planted with sugar cane.
Before had crossed the hollow I i
saw on the opposite slope a monstrous
gorilla standing erect and looking di-
rectly toward me. Without turning my
face beckoned to the boy to bring me
my rifle, but no rifle came-tbe little |
coward had bolted, and / lost my chance
The huge beast stared at me for about /
two minutes, and then, without uttering
any cry, moved off to the shade of the
forest, running nimbly On his hands and
feet As my readers may easily imagine.
had an excellent opportunity of OBJ
serving, during these two days, the man
ner in which gorrillas walked when in
open ground. They move along with
great rapidity and on all-fours, that is,
with the knuckes of their hands touch
ing the ground. Artists, in represent
ng the gorilla walking. generally make
,he arms too much bowed outward, and
he elbows too much bent; this gives
the figure an appearance of heaviness
and awkwardness. When the gorilla
that watched left the plantain trees,
hey moved off at great pace over the
ground, with their arms extended straight
forward toward the ground and meving
-apidly. I may mention also that hav-
ng now opened the stomachs of several
'reshly killed gorillas, I have never
ound anything but vegetable matter in
hem