The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-06-12
GORILLA LAND.

GORILLA LAND.
Once upon "a time, as the primer books
saw, 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 very profitable in
tcrcourse with some of the inland tribes of
natives. A portion of my leisure time l
spent in hunting through the thick woods
and dark jungles for which the coast re-
gion is famous, and it was on one of these
excursions that l first met living gor
lila.
NV guide was a native. of the caunibal
species-black, low-browed, thick skulled,
and but little removed from the brute ami
NAL himself He could make himself un-
derstood, however, knew the country well,
and stood i'm such salutary awe of the Won
derful white man, that felt perfectly safe
in trusting myself with him far beyond
the reach of friends, and in places where
would not have venturcd with any single
one of my couutrymen.
One day We had thus ventured of into
one of the deepest rccesses OF one OF the
darkest and most tangled of jungles, where
thick and dense that scarcely a ray of the
vertical sun could find its way down
through them to the damp, malarious
earth beneath, when suddenly we were
both startled by a succession OF the wild
est and most discordant shrieks l had
ever heard-though with something hu-
man in the sound-accompanied by a
rustling of and plunging through the
brushes ahead of us as If the creature,
whatever il was, was hurriedly making its
escape. - sssz
Al the first sound we both stopped, the
black trembling, frightened, and as white
as the nature of his skin would perPit;
and cooking nay double e-barreled rifle, /
time snxiously inquired what itwss.
NY guide replied in broken English that
he had picked up in his intercourse with
white traders that it was terrible gorilla,
and that unless we turned back at once,
and made good our retreat, we should
probably never have the pleasure Of sec
ing our friends again.
had before heard some rather marvel
Gus accounts of an animal SO called, and
said to bear close resemblance To man,
and 1 naturally felt hunters desire TO
see with my own eyes and. If possible.
add the skin of IL 10 my collection OF curl
osities. Therefore was rather in favor of
going forward than back, believing that
INV sIeadiness of nerve, quickness of sight,
and the reliability of my two loaded bar
rels. would be sufficient TO protect me
from actual harm, to say nothing OF the
assistance in strait of my companion,
who was armed with 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 so frightened at our
approach as to have fled away shricking, y
said /, in cool tone ofcontempt, intended
to reassure my guide and induce him 10
90 forward. .'What, two brave hunters,
armed as we are, to run away from any
beast that roams the forest.-we who have
killed the big snake, the leopard, and the
crocodile! Pshaw, Mocha! that will never
do-never, ladr'
"Dc snake him big" replied Mocha,
with his teeth almost chaiteriug, and his
ewes glarinp upon the thicket all around
him .de leopard him sabage; de crocodile
him bigger; but dc gorill-oo-oooof' him
awful"
aBut we have not seen any gorilla yet
said I: "and if that animal that ran away
was one, we are not likely to, either"
"aim woman run-him man stop fight
-him debil, master"
"Well, man, woman, or anything else
Mocha, / must see something before &c
back frightened"
Master him see, no go back-him, goril
kill master"
/ had by this time made up my mind e
90 forward through the thicket, even If
went alone; and ordering Mocha, in tone
| that admitted of no question, to keep a
my heels, as he valued his life, resolutc
| ly advanced few PAGES through, II truth
must be told, not half so courageous II
feeling as I seemed in action.
But at the end of these few came t'
another sudden stand, for saw a densel
thicket some fifteen or twenty yards
ahead, agitated by the moving of som'
heavy body within il while almost imme
diately there appeared, in plain view, |
monster of such hideous appearance tina
| 1 felt the blood freeze through my vein
and gather about my heart, as ii appslle'
by some horrible vision from the othc
world. 80"
NV powers of description are limited
but had the language of a Milton or
Dante, l could only hope to convey I
your minds faint idea of the hideOu'
ness of the living creature that now stoo
before me; and as to its voice-its tone
lof warning, anger and defiance-I kne,
not to what they can be likencd unless yo
can imagine the bark of a dog, the grow
of a tiger, the snarling of wolf, th
Itrumpeting of an elephant, all united an
combined with sulphurous vomiting
from the regions of Pandemonium.
In shape he was like u man-but like
: man deformed-with monstrous bi
chest and body-small heal. plante
down between his shoulders-large, Ion
arms and huge hands-and short, thiC
bow-legs, terminating in hands instead
2 feet. He stood erect like man, WI
nearly six feet i'm hight, and was co
cred all over, face and all, with she
= black hair. His head was small
; proportion To his body, ald had b
: man conformation. Fierce, glittering grs
eyes, set deep in the hollow, caverno'
sockets, rolled and glared denomiacall
The forehead was low and retreated shar
: ly. There was but little nose. with hig
prominent cheek bones. The mouth vi
: immense with huge, massive Jaws, al
4 short, thin lips, that parted angrily, on
to display u formidable and ferocious S
J. of teeth, the canine being long Al
= sharp pointed.
He stood before us erect, defiant al
awful-uttering the horrible roar ha
attempted to describe, and beating L
; breast with his huge fists. producing
hollow, drum-like sound, that combin
with all the rest, was truly terrific, a
'e made me wish was safe beyond his reat
: Then he advanced few steps, with s.
'e of rolling, waddling motion. stopped aga
y with his cleaning eyes fixed intently up
us, beat his breast as before, and utter
that prolonged and dreadful roar,
stood ON the defensive, wisely det
mined to reserve my fire tor the approa'
,e ing crisis of my fate, hoping and pi ayi
+ / might be successful in putting an end
!. the monster / had been in many PEI
h lous situations before, but done that c,
" Affected me with-sO much terror. @