The union Democrat., 1870-11-12
California Csorilias.

IAN Old Hunter,n who vouehes for the
truth of his story, writes to the Antioch Ledg-
er, AYERS that the statement about gorilla
having been seen among the mountains ct
the head of Orestimba creek, and in Crow
canon is strictly true. lie says:
positively assure you that the gorilla, or
wild man, or whatever you may choose to call
it is no myth. know that it exists. and
that there are at least two of them, having
seen them both at once, nota year ago. Their
existence has been reported at times for the
past twenty yesrs, and have heard it said
that, 10 early days, an orang-outang escaped
from ship on tie southern coast; bht the
creature have seen is not that animal, and
if it is, where did he get his mate import
her as the Web-foots did their wives? Last
Fall | was hunting in the mountains about
twenty miles south of here, and camped five
or six days in one place. as have done eve
~ season for the past fifteen years. Several
times returned to my camp, after a hunt,
and saw that the ashes ard charred sticks
from the fireplace had been scattered about.
An old hunter notices such things, and very
soon gets curious to know the cause. Al
though my bedding and traps and little stores
were not disturbed. that could see, / was
anxious to learn what or who it was that so
regularly visited my camp, for clearly the
half-hurned sticks and cinders could not scat
ter themselves about. saw no tracks near
the camp, as the hard ground, covered with
dry leaves, would show none. So started
on circle round the place, and three hun
dred yards off, in deep sand | struck the
track OF mans feet, as supsosed-hare,
and of immense size. Now | was curious
sure, and resolved to lay for this bare .footed
visitor. | accordingly took a position on a
hillside, some sixty or seventy yards from
the fire, and securely hid in the brush, wait
ed and watched. Two hours or more sat
there, and wondered if the owner of the bare
feet wonld come again. and whether he i'm
agined what an interest he had created in my
inquiring mind, and, finally, what possessed
him to be providing about there with no shoes
on. The fireplace was on my right, and the
spot where l saw the tracks was on my left,
hid by the bushes. 1t was in this direction
that my attention was mostly directed, think
ing the visitor would appear there, and, be-
sides, it was easier to sit and face that way
Suddenly was startled by shrill whistle,
such as boys produce with two fingers under
their tongue, and turning quickly, eiaculat-
ed. "Good God ~ as saw the object of So
licitudo standing beside my fire, erect, and
looking suspicously around. 1t was the i'm
age of man, but it could not have been hui
man. | never was SO benumbed with aston
ishment before. The creature, whatever it
was, stood fully FIVE feet high, and dispropor-
tionately broad and square at the shoulders,
with arms of great length. The legs were
very short and the body long. The bead
was small compared with the rest of the crea-
ture, and appeared to be set upon his shout
ders without neck. The whole was covered
with dark brown and cinnamon colored hair,
quite long on some parts, that on the head
standing in shock and growing close down
to the eyes, like Digger Indians. As
looked, he threw his head back and whistled
again, and then stopped and grasped stick
from the fire. This he swung round and
round, until the fire on the end had gone out,
when he repeated the maneu7er. was dumb,
almost, and could only look. Fifteen min
utes sat and watched him, as he whistled
and scattered my fire about. | could have
easily put bullet through his head, but why
should kill him? Having amused himself,
apparently, all he desired, with my fire. be
started to go, and having gone short dis
lance, he returned, and was Joined by anoth-
era female, unmistakably-when they both
turned and walked past me, within twenty
yards of where l sat, and disappeared in the
brush. could not have had better oppor-
tunity for observing them, as they were I'M
conscious of my presence. Their only object
in visiting my camp seemed to be to amuse
themselves with swinging lighted sticks
around. have told this story many times
since then, and it has often raised an incred-
ulous smile; bat have met one person who
has seen the mysterious creatures, and doz-
en- who have come across their tracks at vari-
Gus places between here and Pacheco Pass.