The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-10-20
The Gorilla Mt Home.

Some facts in rclrtion to the giant
monkey have been collected by writer
in Chamberss Journal, and are most inter
esting. The aged male gorilla, he says,
in the full strength of his bodily deVel-
opment, is creature of terrible aspect.
This animal, when standing upright, is
more than six feet in height. The hind
or part of the head is broader below
than above, and the projecting arches
above the eyes give peculiar promi-
nencc to this part OF the skull. THE
dark eyes glow between the lids with a
ferocious expression" The neck is very
powerful, almost like that Of bull, and
the shoulders are remarkable for their
breadth. The arms are very long, and OF
enormous strength; but the leg short and
feeble in proportion. The gorilla inhab-
it's the forests of West Africa, and is
sometimes seen in large numbers on the
seacoast, probably driven thither from
the interior by scarcity of food. The
gorilla, moreover, lives in society con-
sisting of male and female, with their
young of varying ages, and the family
group inhabit; the recesses of the forest.
According to one observer, they frequent
the sleeping place not more than three or
four times consecutively, and usually
spend the night wherever they happen to
be when night comes on. The male
gorilla chooses a suitable tree, not very
high. and by twisting and bending the
branches constructs kind of rude bed
or nest for his family. He himself spends
the night under the tree, and thus pro-
tects the female and their young from
the nocturnal attacks of leopards, which
arc always ready to devour all species of
apes. In the daytime the gorillas roam
through the forest in search of the IA
vorite leaves or fruits which form their
food.
In walking gorilas place the backs of
their closed fingers on the ground, or
more rarely support themselves on the
fiat palm, while the bent soles of the
feet are also in contact with the ground.
Their gait is tottering; the movement of
the body, which is never in an upright
position as in man, but bent forward,
rolls to some extent from one side to an.
other. They are skillful climbers, and
when ranging from tree to tree will 60
to their very tops. The gorilla Is re-
gardcd as o dreadful and very danger
Gus animal by the negroes who inhabit
the same country; though Professor
Hartman considers that Du Chaillu's de-
scriptions are greatly exaggerated ''for
the benefit of his readers" When the
animal is scared by man he generally
takes to flight screaming, and he only as
sumes the defensive if wounded or driven
into a corner. At such times his size,
strength. and dcxterity combine TO render
him q formidable enemy. "He sends
forth kind of howl or furions yelp,
stands up on his hind legs like an en-
ragged bear, advances with clumsy gait
in this position and attacks his enemy:
At the same time the hair on his head
and the nape of his neck stands erect,
his teeth are displayed, and his eyes
flash with savage fury. He beats his
massive breast with his fists, or beats the
air with them. Koppenfels says that if
no further provocation is given. and his
opponent gradually retreats before the
animals rage has reached its highest
point. he does not return to the attack.
In other cases he pa"ries the blow direct
ed against him with the skill of prac.
ticed fighter; and. as is also done by the
bear, he grasps his opponent by the arm
and crushes it, or else throws the man
down and rends him with his terrible
canine teeth.n