The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1869-01-15
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Eve had come To- a country where
/ sse K, few that goFillas were sure to be
found, for there grew a palpy pear
shapcd fruit the fonda, of which the ami
nal IS worry fond. It grows almost up
on q levol with the ground, and is of a
splcndiared color. Not only were 60
rillas fona OF the fonda, but | myself
liked it very much, as did also the ne
croes. / am very fond Of the snbducd
and grateful acid Of this fruit. The kind
thar grows on the sandy prairies of the
sea-shore is not fit to eat. Many and
many times / would have starved in the
forest without fonda.
We werc not mistaken, tor we found
everywhere gorilla marks, and now and
than We could see tho hugo footprints OF
some old monster, which probably would
have come and offered us battle if he
had beon near at hand; at other places
we saw whsrc they had seated Thorn
selves and been eating the fonda. at
another place near little stream we
discovered that female gorilla and her
baby had been drinking, for | could soc
the tiny feet Of the little one.
s'There must be gorillas not far of"
whispered Malaouen into my ears, and
at the same tins he looked carefully at
his gun. Querlaonen and Gambo gave
q chuckle, and looked at Malaouen and
at me. We al listened in silence; we
were then in ona of the thickest and
densest parts ofthe forest; all was APP
parently still, but the quick ear of Ma
laouen had detected something, had
heard noise, and he wanted to know
the cause of it.
We were so excited that our breathing
was loud and distinctly audible. We at
once cooked our guns, for we heard the
moving of branches just ahead of us,
when lo the forest resounded with the
terrific roar of tho gorilla which made
the very earth fairly shaken under our
feet. As soon as the gorilla saw us he
stood up, and bent his chest with his
powerful hands until it resounded like
an immense bass drum. His intensely
black face was something horrid to be-
hold; his sunken deep gray eyes look
ed ike the eyes of demon, and he
opened his mouth and gave vent to roar
after roar, showing his powerful canine
teeth. How big they were they were
frightful tolook upon; the inside of his
mouth was SO red.
TWAS male gorilla, real fighting
fellow. and was rot afraid Of us. How
horrid he looked as the hair on top of
his head twitched up and down, ard "a
he made the woods ring with his awful
roar until the forest was full of tie din
We stood in silence, gun in hand, and
was ready to fire, when Malaouen, who
is a cool fellow, said, "Not yet" The
monster, according to them, was not
near enough. He stopped for minute
or So, and then seated himself, for his
legs did not seem adapted to support his
huge body. The gorilla looked at US
with his evil gray eyes, then beat his
breast with his long, powerful and 81
gantic arms, giving another howl of de-
hance. How awful was that howl =
He then advanced upon us. Now he
stopped, and, though not far off, they
all said, 'Not YETI Unjust own to hav
ing been somewhat accustomed to see
gorillas. was terribly excited, for
slways felt that, if the animal was not
killed, somo enc of us would be killed.
now judged he was not more than
ten or twelve yards from us, and ! could
sec plainly the ferocious and fendish
face Of the monstrous ape. 1t was
working with rage his huge teeth were
ground against each other, SO that we
could hear the sound the skin Of the
forehead was moved rapidly back and
forth, bringing truly devilish express
ion upon the hideous face; then once
more he opened his mouth and gave a
roar which seemed to shake the woods
like thunder, and looking us in the eyes,
and beating his breast, advanced again.
This time he was within eight yards
from US before he stopped again. My
breath was growing short with excite
mcnt as ! watched the huge beast. Ma
laouen said "Steady," as he came up.
When he stepped Malaouen said "Now;"
AIN NOAOA0 hC Nould ullGi IHO LOdi ASl
which he was opening his mouth, three
musket balls were in his body, and he
fell dead almost without a struggle
Gambo had not fred he had kept his
gun in reserve in case of aeeident.---
''Do not fire too soon. Ifyou do not kill
him he will Kill YOU" said friend Ma,
laoGen to mc-s piece of advice which
] found afterward to be literally true
1t was huge beast, and very old one
indeed. Gorilas vary in height like
men. This one was over feet 6
inches Its bare, huge, brawny chest
measured GO inches round and the big
foe or thumb Of its foot measured near
y inches in circumference. It's arm
seemed only like an immense bunch CT
muscle, and its legs and claw-like feet
were SO we'll fitted for grabbing and
Holding on that / did not wonder that
the negroes believed that this animal
concealed itself in frees, and pulled up
with his foot any living thing, leopard,
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