The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-06
THE GORILLA AT HOME.
DOES NOT SEEK BATTLE, BUT
KNOWS NOT FEAR.


culiarities of a Little Known Link
Between Brute and Ian.
From the Boston Globe.
Then the underbrush swayed rapidly Just
ahead, and presently before us stood an i'm
meuse male gorilla.
He had gone through the jungle on his all
fours, but when he saw our party he erected
himself and looked us boldly IN the face.
He stood about dozen yards from us and
was a sight l think never to forget.
Nearly SIX feet high, with an immense
body. huge chest and great muscular arms,
with fiercely glaring. large deep, gray eyes
and hellish expression Of face, which
seemed to me like a nightmare vision; thus
stood before US this king Of the African
forests.
He was not afraid OF us. He stood there
and beat his breast with his huge fists till it
reSOunded like an immense bass drum which
is their mode OF offering defiance, meantime
giving vent TO roar after roar, says the
author Of Equatorial Africa"
His eyes began TO flash fercer as we stood
motionless on the defensive, aud the crest
of short hair which stands on his forehead
to twitch rapidly up and down. while his
powerful fangs were shown as he again set
forth a thunderous roar.
He advanced few steps; then stopped to
utter that hideous roar again, then ad-
vanced again aud finally stopped when at a
distance Of about six yards from us
And here, as he began another OF his
roars, and beating his breast in rage. we
fired. With groan which had
SOMETHING TERRIBLY HUMAN
in it, and yet was full OF brutishness, he fell
forward on his face.
The body shook convulsively for a few
minutes, the limbs moved about 10 a strug-
Cling way and then all was quiet.
Death had done its work and | was at
leisure 60 examine the huge body.
1t proved 20 be feet inches high; and
the muscular development OF the arms and
breast showed what immense strength il had
possessed.
1t has been my fortune to be the first
white man who can speak Of the gorilla
from personal knowledge; and my OBJ
reported of it are false and vain imagin-
ings of ignorant negroes and credulous trav-
eleTs
The gorilla does not Turk in trees by the
roadside aud drag up unsuspiclous passers-
by in its claws aud choke them to death it
does not attack the elephant and beat him
TO death with sticks; 1t does not carry off
build itself house Of leaves aud twigs in the
forest trees and sit on the roof, as has been
confidently reported.
1t is not gregarious even, and Che numer-
Gus stories OF its attacking in great mum hers
have not grain Of truth in them.
1t lives in the loneliest and darkest por-
tions of the dense African jungle, preferring
deep wooded valleys, and also rugged
Nights. The high plains also, whose surface
10 IA l.
its favorite haunts.
Water is found everywhere lin this part
OF Africa; but l have noticed that the
gorilla Is always found very near to a
plentiful supply. 1t is a restless and no
madio beast, wandering from place to place
and scarcely ever found for two days to-
gether in the same neighborhood.
In part. this restlessness is caused by the
struggle 1t has to fad its favorite food. The
gorilla, though its vast strength doubtless
fits it to capture and
KILL ALMOST EVERY ANIMAL
which frequents the forests a strict vege-
tartan.
examined the stomachs of all which I
was fortunate enough to kill and never
found traces there of aught but berries,
pineapple leaves and other vegetable mat
ter.
1t is huge feeder and no doubt soon eats
up the scant supply of its natural food
which is found in any limited space, aud is
then forced to wander on in constant battle
with famine.
Its vast pauuch, which swells before 10
when ID stands upright, proves 1t TO be a
vast feeder, and, indeed, its great frame
and enormous muscular development could
not be supported on little food.
The gorilla is not gregarious. OF adults
found almost always one male with one
female, though sometimes the old male
wanders companionless. In such cases-as
with the ''roguen elephant-he 10 partic-
ularly morose, malignant and dangerous to
approach.
Young gorillas l found sometimes In
companies of five, sometimes less, bat never
more. The young always run off, on all
fours, shrinking with fear. They are diff
cult TO approach, as their hearing 10 acute
and they lose no time in making their
escaps, while the nature OF the ground
makes it hard for the hunter to follow after
The adult animal is also shy, and have
hunted all day without coming upon my
quarry. when felt sure they were carefully
avoiding me.
When, however, at last fortune IsFavors
the hunter and he comes accidentally or by
good management upon his prey, he need
not fear its running away. In all my hunts
and encounters with this animal / never
know a grown male to run OF.
When l surprised a pair of gorillas the
male was generally sitting down on a rock
against tree, in some
DARKEST CORNER OF THE JUNGLE,
where the brightest sun left its traces only
in dim and gloomy twilight.
The female was mostly feeding near by.
and il is singular that she almost always
gave the alarm by running off with loud
and sudden cries or shrieks.
Then the male, sitting for moment with
q savage frown upon his face, slowly rises
to his feet, and, looking with glowing and
malign eyes at the intruder, begins to beat
his breast, aud, lifting up his round head,
utters his frightful roar.
This begins with several sharp barks like
an enraged or mad dog, whereupon ensues
long. deeply gutteral, rolling roar, CON
tinued for over a minute, and which.
doubled and multiplied by the resoundine
echoes of the forest, fills the hunters ear
like the deep rolling thunder of an APP
preaching storm.
| have reason to believe that / have hoard
this roar at a distance OF three miles.
The common walk Of the gorilla Is not on
bis hind legs, but on oil fours. In this post
ure the arms are so that the head and
breast are raised considerably, and as il
runs the hind legs arc brought far beneath
the body.
The leg and arm on the same side are
moved together, which gives the breast