The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-29
TO, TALK WITH GORILLAS.
MORE ABOUT PROF. GARMENTS NOV.
DERFUL ExPEDITTON.

MORE ABOUT PROF GARMENTS NOV.
DERFUL EXPEDITION.
| NE WIN Start Before April with =, n.
| heard.of Armament-The Cage Ile ia a,
Occupy In che Forest 10 DO RuI,t ar
AIuminum - A battery tor CHARGING I.
with observation-disclosures, EEsies, and
New Kisd OF Phenoernph Taken Aio,e
WASHINGTON. Nov. 28-Prof. Gamers con.
templnted expedition to gorillaland is exciting
profound scientific interest at Washington
His learned friends here arc assisting him In
the preparation OF the most remarkable eouip.
ment ever carried by an explorer. Among
other things It will include monographs te,e.
phones, Photographic apparatus an electra
telegraph. and O complete taxidcrmist's outfit
There will he big cage eight feet cube, which
the traveller himself intends to occupy; also
small cage to hold q gorilla In case one Is can.
tured alive. The armament to DO taken along
for offensive and defensive purposes will be
altogether extraordinary md Of q character
unheard OF hitherto.
Tho expedition will enter the mouth OF tina
Gaboon River. just under the equator, on tho
west coast Of Africa. and. having secured An
escort Of natives. will proceed up tho stream
for distance OF l12 miles. AZ that point tho
/
reached. and there tho party will disembark.
plungine southwark into tho tropical forests
Of the gorilla country. A locality that is par
ticularly infested by these giant apes will be
sought, and there. In tho midst Of the bowling
eQstorial wilderness, the Professor will set Tin
his cage. He will occupy Il alone. at night "A
we'll as In the day time. being moToly connect.
ed by telephone wire with the rest Of the party.
which will be located at distance Of hall
mile or moro. It is necessary for his purpose
chat the animals whose language he 10 des!r.
GUS OF studying should be disturbed in their
native haunts as little as possible.
The cage will be construned in New York,
It is to be made Of aluminium. for tho sake OF
lightness and will be built in eighteen sec.
tiona Thus It can be carried very easily. All
Of its Joints will lock automatically when 1t is
set up. The door will be Of rubber. Strong
steel chains will fasten It to the ground lest
any gorillAs should take notion to walk away
with IT,
Every possibility Of attack. however is sum.
ciently provided against in other ways. A
powerful electric battery will be so arranged
that BY the touch OF q button the entire cage,
save only the rubber moor. will DO instanta.
neously charged with electricity. II Prof. Gar.
ner sees any hostile and dangerous creature
approaching. no will merely have to press the
OASSOus ohA Viz cicoSkiC Adtu VIII w lu0 TeSt.
Tho aerce gorilla-supposing such case
upon grasping the bars will receive shock o,
500 volts. This Is enough to kill man. who
Ia able to survive Q moro powerful stroke OF
such lightning than any other animal.
Recourse would not be had to such means OF
defence unless 1t were absolutely necessary
because the Professors object is to cultivate
friendly relations with the gortllas. aud not
to injure them. But these huge apes arc said
TO be the most dangerous aad ferocIous crea.
lures in existence. invariably attacking man
on sight. and 30 It Is as we'll to be prepared.
At short distance from tho cage on all sides
will be extended copper wires. arranged in
such manner that they can be drawn taut at
about two feet from tho ground at moments
notice. though ordinarily they simply lie slack
In the grass. Suppose that o whole troop Of
fierce animals. enraged by the presence OF the
cage and its occupant, should make rush to
destroy the one and capture the other. Then
the bold scientist would touch Q button. the wire
barriers would spring taut all around him. and
the foes. upon touching them. would DO
knocked hors de combat by q tremendous
shock Of electricity. The battery will be pow
erful enough to sustain In the cage voltage
Of 500 volts Tor thirty minutes. which II likely
to be sufficient for all purposes ,'g -
Some curiosity has been expressed a. to tho
means By which Prof Garner will attract the
gorillas to his cage In order to interview them.
He does not anticipate any difficulty about
that. In the first place. these animals are SO
aggressively disposed that they may approach
him OF their own accord for that reason Again.
their curiosity is likely to draw them. But re.
lance 10 had for the purpose upon certain de-
vices Efigfes resembling human beings or
gorillas, or both. will be constructed and
placed in natural attitudes near the cage to
serve as decoye. Every one knows how fond
all monkeys are OF looking Mt themselves In
the glass. and this weakness OF theirs Is to be
taken advantage Of Large mirrors. to DO
taken along with the outfit, will be set up out
side the cage. and any gorilas which catch
sight OF themselves in these looking glasse.
will presumably be induced to stay and make
remarks concerning their own personal up
pearance. Besides all this. tho Professor
hopes to excite the interest OF tho beasts by
tho meanings OF their varied how!s
and responding to them himself as scductivoy
as possible. Fruit. too. upon which eorii!Os
depend chiefly for their diet. will DO scattered
about for bait
Having induced the gorillas to come near
the cage. when they will doubtless have plenty
OF observations to make In their own Ian
gunRe. the next thing requisite Is to record
what they say. This will be done by means NJ
D phonoGraph which Mr.. Edison ia now max.
Ing expressly for the purpose. It will DO dit
ferene from any other photograph ever seen.
For one thing It will have two cylinders wh!ch
VIII be worked simultaneously by an elcctric
motor. one cylinder receiving and recording
sounds while tho other one erinds out re-
marks. The object Of this il readily explained
Suppose that gorilla comes up to tho cage
and utters IL lot OF what seems like glbberish.
Tho horn attached to tho instrument absorb
Ing 1t and u revolving cylinder taking it down.
subsequently another gorilla approaches. and
It Is desired to find out what 1t will say in re-
sponse to the ntterances OF the first. BY com.
pairing tho two 1t ia hoped to get an inklinG ~
the meanings intended. So blank cylinder
Will be set going on the machine to receive tho
words OF the second gorilla. while Mt the sams
lime tho first cylinder is kept going round AMI
the yelps and howls Of gorilla 20. l.
For the purpose Of demonstration. after his
return. tho Professor proposes TO take photo.
graphs OF the gOrtl!as the cage and himself