The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1894-03-31

in the following Decembe.
through the lake regions enouA
information about the animals, in.
tants, conditions of the country for II.
purpose. After this journey l returned
to Lake Feian Ease. through which ]
had already passed on the way back.
There found q suitable place to erect
my cage.
II located n mile from the lake Ill
a dense jungle, for the gorilla will not
live in an open country. 1t was on the
south side of the lake about 2 degrees
south of the equator. l do not know
the longitude, but 1t was about ous
days journey to the seacoastin u direct
line. 1 had been advised by the natives
that 1t was the best situation in south.
western Africa to find numbers OF Ror.
illns. In this locality many had been
captured by white hun tiers.
II slunR my cage with assistance
from natives. The cage consisted Of .
network Of steel rods tive-sixtetenths Of
an inch thick. l brought It with me-
In eight sections, each 8 feet 6 inches In
length. These sections weighed IS
pounds in all. I anchoredit with three
heavy chains passed over the root. As
q Frecaution q network Of steel wire
was thrown around the rods as guard
Tho roof was made of bamboo and ]
had with me canvas %tarpaulin, in case
of rain.
"My effects consisted Of household
utensils. two revolvers, one magazine
rife. n air gun and hollow arrows
filed with prussic acid. which / dis.
charged with a blowgun. Tho best
safeguard | had was a device of nv
own invention. 1t was a bag like q
large canteen filled with concentrated
ammonia, to which was attached a
hose 30 inches long, with q nozzle
through which could force the fumes
OF the ammonia, which would ~suffocate
q gorilla ten feet away. !
THE cage stood on a foundation
three or four feet from the ground.
had no monograph, as one ordered
from Edison on NAV 8. 1sss. never
reached me. | had the invoice and was
very much disappointed ut not receiy.
ing 1t, as it would have aided me very
materially in my experiments. Unfor.
tunately my Photographic apparatus
failed to work also.
II went into the cage alone on April
25, 1893. and remained in it until
August 9 following. OF course l came
u for short intervals. For my young
chimpnnzee, Moses, which / had with
me, 1 built q hut outside not far from
the cage. During the long months
he was my only companion most Of the
time. We dined together, and on these
occasions Moses was not confined but
went in and out at will.
ION some occasions he behaved very
badly, for the etiquette of the race is
not always perfect. Then l would put
him nj saw a great many gorillas
II think can safely say more than
any other white man living. NV DO.
sition was such that Rorillns would
come very close. and j could sit calmly
and study every detail Of movement
and expression. / never had occasion
to use my gun but once. Then l only
cooked II, aimed mt q gorilla to rescue
my pet dog, but before l fired the 20,
rilla became frightened aud a away
~ have seen only two or three Ror.
illas whilo outside OF the cage, but had
every advantage within the cage.
Many things which / have read before
and since my researches in magazine
articles and natural history about the
gorilla are fiction.
81 have learned not more than six OF
eight words OF the chimpanzee Ian.
guage. These cannot give you, fol
they r not amenable to any known
etymology OF photography. i cannot
pronounce them. II / could I would
willingly give them to you. / think
there are about forty or fifty words Q,
u%tterances in their Language.
1.-THE gorilla certainly has MARTA
relations, but nc ceremony. learned
from the natives that they are polyg>
amists. However, l am quite so listed
that they keep the same female as 8
wife for many years.
II have seen groups OF three or four
In which are always n male only. l,
is very clear to rue that they have q
patriarchal form of government I wa.
assured by o man whom I believe to be
truthful that he has seen a gorilla sit
ting on the ground eating plantains
They were brought by other male
g~orillns to his supposed majesty, after
being gathered by females. The only
thing which inclines me to doubt ths
story is the fact that the gorilla rarely
eats the plantain itself, but lives on thu
meat of the stock of the plaintain tree
which he tears TO pieces. The gorilla,
are at full maturity when they reach
the age Of 8 or 10 years. They do no,
build houses and are not c%arniverous
| but o~mniyerouS.