Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-06-12
A HUNTERS ADVENTURE,

Onco upon time, as the primer books
say, while travelling in tho Western coast of
Africa, in the equatorial region, ran my
vessel about twenty miles up one Of tho
rivers in that vicinity, and remained there
several weeks having very profitable inter.
course with some Of the inland tribes of
natives. A portion of my leisure timo l
spent in hunting through the thick woods
and dark junglos for which that coast region
is famous, and it was on one of these cx-
oursions that first met living gorilla.
My guide was native, Of tho cannibal
spcoics-b black, low browcd, thick skullcd
and but littlo removed from tho brute ami
NAL himself. Ho could make himself un-
derstood, however, knew tho country we'll,
and stood in such awe Of the wonderful
white man, that 7 felt perfectly safe in
trusting myself with him far beyond the
reach Of friends, and in places where I
would not have vcnturcd with any single
one of my countrymcn.
one of the deepest rccesscs of ono of the
darkest and most tangled of jungles, where
the spreading branches and leaves were
SO thick and dense that scarcely ray of
tho vertical sun could find its way down
through them to tho damp, malarious earth
beneath, when suddenly we were both
startled by a succession of the widest and
most discordant shrcks I had ever heard
though with something human in tho sound
accompanied by a rustlng of and plung-
ing through the bushes ahead Of US, as if
tho creature, whatever it was, was hurricdly
making its escape.
At the first sound we both stopped; the
black trembling, frightened, and as white
as the nature of his skin would permit; ond
cooking my double -barrclled rlo, I stood
on tho defensive, aud at tho same time anx.
iously inquired what it was.
My guide replied 10 broken English, that
ho had picked up in his intercourse with
white traders, that it was q terrible gorilla,
aud that unless wo turned back at once,
and make good our retreat, wo should
probably noyor have the pleasure of seeing
our friends again.
/ had before heard some rather marvellous
accounts of an animal so called, and to bear
close resemblance to man, and naturally
folt huuter's desire to SEQ with my own
Dyes, and, fpossiblo, add tho skin of it to
my collection of ouriositics. Therefore l
was rather in favor of going forward than
back, believing that my steadness of nerve,
quickness of sight, and the reliability of my
two loaded barrels, would be sufficient to
protect mo from actual harm, to say nothing
Of tho assistance in a straight Of my com
panion, who was armed with spear that
he could throw with the force and precision
Of an old harpooncr.
"Can't think of turning back for a p,crc
gorilla, that has been frightened at our
approach as to havo nd away shrieking,"
| said, in cool tone of contempt, intend
ing to rcassuro my guido and induce him
to go forward. "What, two brlvc hunters,
armed as we are, to run from any beast that
roams tho forest! We, who have killed tho
big snake, tho leopard and tho crocodile!
Pshaw, Mocha! that will never do--ncvcr,
lad!'
"Do snake him big" replied Mocha,
with his teeth almost chattcring, and his
eyes glaring upon tho thickcts all around
him; lido leopard him sabbago; dc crocodile
him bigger but do gorilla--oo- oo-oof!
him awful!'
"Isut VIC have not seen any gorilla yet"
said !; sand if that animal that ran away
was one, VIC arc not likely to, either"
"Him woman run him man stop fight,
him debbil, master"