West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-03-29
GORILLA LAND.

Once upon a me, as the primer books
say, while trading on the western coast
of Africa, in the equatorial region, /
ran my vessel about twenty miles up
one of the rivers in that vicinity, and
remained there several weeks, having a
very profitable intercourse with some of
the inland tribes of natives. A portion
OF my leisure time spent in hunting
through the thick woods and dark Jun
giles for which that coast region is fa-
nous, and il was on one of these excur-
biOns that / first met a living gorilla.
My guide was a native, of the can
nibal species-back, low browed, thick
skulled, and but little removed from
the brute animal himself. He could
make himself understood however,
knew the country well, and stood in
such salutary awe of the wonderful
white man, that / felt perfectly safe in
trusting myself with him far beyond
the reach of friends, and in places
where / would not have ventured with
any single one of my countrymen.
One day we had thus ventured of
into one of the deepest recesses of one
of the darkest and most tangled of Jun
giles, where the spreading branches and
leaves were so thick and dense that
scarcely ray of the vertical sun could
find it's way down through them to the
damp, malarious earth beneath, when
suddenly we were both startled by n
succession Of the widest and most dis
cordant shrieks | had ever heard
though with something human in the
sound-accOmpanied by rustling Of
and plunging through the bushes ahead
of us, as il the creature, whatever il
was, was hurriedly making its escape.
At the first sound we both stopped
the black trembling, frightened, and az
white as the nature of his skin would
permit; and cooking my double-bar.
relied rifle, | stood on the defensive, and
at the sane time anxiously inquired
what it was.
My guide replied in broken English
that he had picked up in his intercourse
with white traders, that it was a terrible
gorilla, and that unless we turned back
at once, and made good our retreat. we
should probably never have the pleasure
of seeing our friends again.
had before heard some rather mar
velous accounts of an animal so-called.
and said to bear n close resemblance TO
man, and / naturally felt hunters de-
sire TO see with my own eyes, and, if
possible, add the skin of it 10 NV col
lection of curiosities. Therefore / was
rather in favor of going forward than
back, believing that my steadiness of
nerve, quickness of sight, and the reli-
ability of my two loaded barrels, would
be sufficient to protect me from actual
harm, to cay nothing of the assistance
in strait of my companion, who was
armed with a spear that he could throw
with the force and precision Of an old
harpooner.
Can't think of turning back for
mere gorilla, that has been 50 fright.
ened at our approach as TO have fled
away shrieking," said !, in a cool tone
of contempt, intended to reassure nv
guide and induce him to 90 forward.
What, two brave hunters, armed az
we are, to run from any beast that
rOams the forest I'VE who have killed
the big snake, the leopard, and the
crocodilel Pshaw, Mocha that will
never d0-never, ladW
De snake him big" replied Mocha.
with his teeth almost chattering. and
his eyes glaring upon the thickets all
around him " de leopard him sabage
de crocodile him bigger; but dc gorilla
Oo-Oo-oof him awfulW
But we have not seen any gorilla
yet" said /; and if that animal that
ran away was one, we are not likely
TO, either"
Him woman run-him man stop
hght-him debil, master"
Well, man, woman, or any thing
else, Mocha, i must see something be.
fore i go back frightened"
Master him sec, no 90 back-him
gOril kill master"
had by this time made up nv mind
TO 60 forward through the thicket. even
If i went alone and ordering Mocha. i'm
tone that admitted 0f no question. To-
keep at my heels as he valued his life
res0lutely advanced a few PAGES
though, If truth must be told. not half
50 courageous in feeling az seemed I'm
action.
But at the end OF these few PAGES
came to another sudden stand. for saw
a denser thicket some fifteen or twenty
yards ahead, agitated by the moving of
some heavy body within it. while almost
Immediately there appeared, in plain
view, n monster of such hideous appear
ance that / felt the blood freeze through
my veins and gather about my heart. as
II appalled, BY some horrible visitant
from the other world
My powers Of description are limited
out had the language of q Milton or a
bante, J could only hope to convey to
your minds faint idea of the hid.
NOusness OF the living creature that now
TODD before me and rs 10 ios voice-its