The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-09
This day, ifcouraro fan not, | viii 60,
APE AND LION FIGHT.

In tho gloomy rccesscs % the primeyal
forests still 10 be found in central Africa,
there Is a vast %uncXplOrcd field still
stretching forth rs unmeasnred space to
tho hunter and the naturalist. To those
who know the face OF nature as T. Is be-
fore the corrosive hand Of civilization
sweeps across it, there s. little ground for
wonder that the two axe almost alWay5ln
n greater or lesser degree united Occ3-
sionnlh. then. even the most ardent hun
ter will lose the blood instinct that ami
mates him. and, lowering his rife. per-.
haps in 4 moment Of sycat personal dan
gor. viii forget his long and la5or!ously
sought quarry TO watch some new trait or
fresh instinct in the animal that, uuc0n-
scious O.. his presence. eamhOls before
him. Il IS Of such an episode that | now
wI..c.
Nv raiGo ami / had been Tor two days
after big game with but Nttle success,
uutn shortly after noon ON the second day
we struck what appeared TO be one Of The
denec patches of inr-Hetralia that cannot
be described, but mast be seen TO be I'M
derstood. Behind u. srrctched vast ave
Gucc Of trees. tie height Of which WIS
lost in the lcafv clouds which shut outthe
lercc, burning glare Of the sun, and rem
dered even the terrible noont.dc cool and
pleasant. III front OF IT'S came the closer
stems and th.ci-, iu.ortwining growth Of
vines and creepcIs. VITA stunted bushes and
long pendant masse impenCtrable save
where some gigantic brute bad crushed n
passage through, leaving hig tracks in
broken branches, crushed bushes and
@lso1.l.. ~e.s.rvol fNrfrn nfr.fe ~ ror-
geous plumaCe. with harsh, dis
sonant voices, pe9Dlcd the trees, the
chirp Of a CrassAopper, the sharp
hiss Of a serpent, OF the shrill sound OF a
locust rose from tic matted grass, with
occasionally tho hoor q IN owl or the
chatter Of q stray monkey, which sounded
strangely in the peculiar silence Of the
forests. IA We advanced along the track,
slowly and with great difficulty, we
seemed TO leave them far behind, and en-
tered into q region of semi-daIEuess, a
faint greenish black light, as though The
glorious sunlight overhead, baked in find
Ing Il direct inlet 10 the ground, had been
filtered through yards of close growing
green FOLIAGE, and. u%ncOnQueTed ny all
the forces OF vegetation, had succeeded in
sending q faint, subdued semblance Of It
self, like that found in some vast cathe-
dral aisle. Ny eyes struggled with the
gloom, and seemed to have an instructive
power 70 dilate their pupils sufficiently 10
magnify or cOndense the %Attenuated rays
until they were able 10 illumine the sur
rounding Plutonian depths.
My guide suddenly paused and made n
sign TO me with his open palm, which, in
the language OF the hunter, said thar he
had struck n trail. or heard some token of
the proximity of game that had escaped
my less acute powers. / cautiously adj
vanced 10 his side, and following the di-
rection Of his finger pccred through the
brush, and saw that We lay upon the edge
OF n small clearing o~ycrshadOEed by an
enormous tree, whose foliage, without
really admitting a creatar volume OF
light, seemed 10 cquaAze The CLEAN, and
so render objects ~ q distance Of thirty or
forty yards perfectly T%crceptible.
Right opposite 20 Us, with his back
against a tree. Was the sleeping form of a
huge gorilla, his hanGs hanging down by
hts sides, his LEGS crooked ID front OF HIM,
and his head listlessly lying sidewisc on
his shoulder. Some distance from him
was the female, apparently basily en-
gagged in gathering Iis swinging from
tree 10 tree, now disappearing into the
surrounding forest, but ever and anon re-
turning TO keep watch and ward over the
sleeping lord ana master. For some min
utes / hesitated as TO What course Ito pur-
sue, whether TO attempt 70 get any
closer, as the distance was rather n
long one, in such a light, TO attack IN
animal like the gorilla, who. If only
wounded, would, in ali probability, with
the female, charge ri-ht down into rs, or
II I should take all risks and rely upon
the second rifle OF my guide. At last de
cided 10 take my chance where 1 was, but,
upon raising my rifle, J heard q scream OF
agony from the female, which caused the
sleeper to r!se TO his feet. and as it did 20
the female literally fell from a tree on the
edge Of the clearing down TO the ground,
u~ttering the most piercing cries that hu.
man imagination can conceive.
Then q terrific roar that shook the very
ground broke upon the silence and told
the history OF the female g~orilla's fright.
II was a lion, and az the sound of his
voice she again fed into the trees, while
the male uttered a deep, savage, hoarss
toar that was the answer TO the lions
challenge. Immediately Il crashing sound
was heard, and q full grown lion bounded
into the open, and stood, his head erect,
bis name bgi5tliug like the hair Oh a cat,
the very personiAcation Of brute strength
and courage.
AS his eyes lighted on the gorilla his
tail began to wave 70 and fro. Wider
and wider grew It's sweep, until at last II
struck its ribs, first one side and then the
other, with resoundiag blows, while roar
upon roar gave token OF his Increasing
rage and anger. The gorilla placed HE
upper hands upon The ground and bounded
INTO the air fully six feet, alighting on
his four hands and bounding up again and
again, seemingly Tor the purpose OF en-
raging the lion 10 the greatest possible
degree. He then rose 10 his full height
on his hinder hands, uttering tremendous
roars and beating his breast with his great
fist, producing SOUNDS like those made by
heavy blows upon a bass drum. Then he
dropped upon oil fours again, remaining
perfectly motionless with the exception
Of his eyebrows, which worked up and
down with lightning speed, giving an ex-
preston Of lerocity to his face that il IN
dcscribable.
Tt.l 10 a.. IL ~ ----