Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-02-29
NY First Gorilla Hunt.

In the gloomy recesses of the
primeval forest still to be found in
Central Africa there is a vass unex-
plored field still stretching forth its
unmeasured space to the hunter and
the naturalist. To those who know
the face of nature as it is before the
corrosive hand of civilization sweeps
across it, there is little ground for
wonder that the two are almost always
in a greater or lesser degree united.
Occasionally, then even the most
ardent hunter will lose the blood in
stinct that animates him, and, lower
ing his rifle, perhaps in moment of
great personal danger, will forget his
long and laboriously sought quarry
to watch some new trait or fresh in
stinct in the animal that, unconscious
of his presence, gambols before him.
1t is of such an episode that | now
write.
Ny guide and | had been for two
days after big game with but little
success, until shortly after noon on
the second day we struck what appear
ed to be one of the dense patches of
impenetralia that cannot be describ-
ed, but must be seen to be under
stood. Behind us stretched vast
avenues of trees, the height of which
was lost in leafy clouds which shut
out the fierce, burning glare of the
sun, and rendered even the terrible
noontide cool and pleasant In front
of us came the closer stems and thick
er, INTERVIEWING growth of vines and
creepers, with stunted bushes and
long pendant masses, impenetrable
save where some gigantic brute had
crushed passage through, leaving
his tracks, in broken branches, crush
ed bushes and thickly-scattered
twigs. Birds of gorgeous plumage
with harsh, dissonant voices peopled
the trees, the chIrp of grasshopper,
the sharp hiss of serpent, or the
shrill sound of locust rose from the
matted grass, with occasionally the
boot of an owl, or the chatter of a
stray monkey, which sounded strange
ly in the peculiar silence of the
forests. AS we advanced along the
track, slowly and with great diff
Guilty, we seemed to leave them far
behind, and entered into region of
semi-darkness, a faint greenish black
light, as though the glorious sunlight
overhead, baked in finding direct
inlet to the ground, had been filtered
through yards of close growing green
foliage, and unconquered by all the
forces of vegetation, had succeeded in
sending faint, subdued semblance of
itself, like that found in some vast
cathedral aisle. My eyes struggled
with the gloom and seemed to have
an instructive power to dilate their
pupils sufficiently to magnify or con-
dense the attenuated rays until they
were able to illumine the surround
ing Plutonian depth.
My guide suddenly paused and
made sign to me with his open palm,
which, in the language IF the hunter,
said that he had struck a trail, or
heard some token of the proximity
of game that had escaped my less
acute powers. cautiously advanced
to his side, and following the direc-
ton of his finger peered through the
brush, and saw that we lay upon the
edge Of a small clearing, overshad-
owed by an enormous tree, whose
foliage, without really admitting a
greater volume of light, seemed to
equalize the CLEAN, and so render
objects at distance of thirty or forty
yards perfectly perceptible.
Right opposite to us, with his back
against tree, was the sleeping form
of huge gorilla, his hands hanging
down by his side, his legs crooked in
front Of him, and his head listlessly
lying sidewise oil his shoulder. Some
distance from him was the female,
apparently busily engaged in gath
ering nuts swinging from tree to tree,
now disappearing into the surround.
ing forest, but ever and anon return.
ing TO keep watch and ward over the
sleeping lord and master. For some
minutes l hesitated as to what course
to pursue, whether to attempt to get
any closer, as the distance was rather
a long one, in such light, to attack
an animal like the gorilla, who, il
only wounded, would in all probable
ity, with the female, charge right
down into US; or If | should take all
risks and rely upon the second rife
of my guide. At last ! decided ia
take my chance where ! was, but up
on raising my rifle | heard a scream OF
agony from the female which caused
thu sleeper 10 start 10 its feet and M