The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-06-18
HUNTING THE GORILLA.
81 wILFORD P. POND.

3
many native servants and through
them | had the opportunities TO see
the natives hunt according to the time
| hOnOred methods Of the tribes. In
this respect | did not follow the prac
tice Of the ordinary traveller, who con
ducts his bunts after his own fashion.
taking the horns or skin of his quarry
for himself, with the glory, Of course
leaving the carcass for his native help
who are satisfied with that and few
beads for recompense, and are willing
10 take q subordinate position IN the
hunt
One Of my men was named Oshupu.
He was forever wishing that we had
reached his country, and he would
talk TO me by the hour Of elephant
and gorilla hunts, until | longed to
get away with him to join hunting
party of his people. Accordingly
when we neared the GabOon river, it
did not need much persuasion to in
duce me to outspan the team for two
weeks, and 60 with Oahupu to his vii
lage.
Through this hamlet as is the case
Of most equatorial villages ran one
long street The houses We're square
frames. with sides Of neatly woven
waffle. and were thatched with the
same coated with mud The cave of
the rCof was carried forward some dis
tance, and supported on two posts,
welcome shade the village people
squattcd, gossiping and waiting for
something TO interest them.
| was that something,
We entered the village from the
side. and were in the street before our
coming was perceived As If pulled
by q single string, every native arose
and quietly forming ring around me
the population gravely inspected me.
While Oshupu was, as it were, intro
ducing me, | felt fingers touch my
clothes, my rife, and even go into my
pockets, all of which examination |,
knowing the habits Of these people.
pretended not to notice The natives
seldom steal until taught 10 do SO by
a corrosive intercourse with the civil
ized whites.
When ii was known that | had come
to hUut the gorilla their Joy was un-
bounded, for strange as it may seem.
these warIike people, like those Of
many other tribes. are much afraid of
this animal, and The awe with which
they regard him prompts them to
make Il gorilla skull the principal or
nament on their fetish huts.
After resting for two days Our hunt
ing party was formed, and we jour
neyed long day march TO the home
of the goulla.
In many places we could scarcely
move for the dense vegetation. On
all sides Of us stretched vast forest
avenues, in which the height Of the
trees was lost in the dense oyergrowth
that stretched like Ieafy clouds above
rs: III front the stems grew close and
thick, with INTERVIEWING vines and
creepers. stnnted bushes. and pendant
masses of monkey ropes that curled
like snakes in countless thousands.
The Stiffness at times could almost
be felt, and then again patch would
be struck where birds with harsh
voices poopled the trees, but could not
be seen, or the chirp of the grasshop-
per, the sharp hiss Of a serpent, the
shrill sound Of locust rose from the
matted grass. No other sounds could
be distinguished except the chatter Of
stray monkey OF the hoot of an owl.
We seemed to enter into region OF
semi darkness, where the light was Of
a faint greenish black | could feel
the pupils Of my eyes dilate III an ef
fort to condense the faint light filter
eel from above through the green,
tightly-drawn curtain overhead, so
that | might distinguish the tree
trunks from Oshupu, for in that
strange light everything seemed to
move, and if stood still | became dizzy
At about the third hour after sun
rise, as nearly as / coud Judge. the
light either became stronger, OF my
eyes became moro accustomed to the
gloom and | could see better than be
fore. My guides, apparently had
found no difficulty in seeing we'll all
the time. The greatest caution and
silence were observed. for our aim was
to catch a gorilla asleep. [ wished
style, and held my double eight as a
reserve force to use in case Of acci-
dents
Suddenly my guide stopped short,
and holding mp his finger, crooked it
over his head, pointing to the left |
| turned my head in the direction indi-
Gated, and at distance Of about three
1
ape slowly moving through the trees
on all fours, swinging to aud fro in a
manner not unlike the plantlgrade
movement of a grizzly.
Oshupu reached his hand behind as
! signal for me to move up to him. and
when | had done so. he said. "the gor
lila has fed and Is lazy. If he sees us
he will run and we shall never catch
up with him in this tangle. We must
rest here, and he viii drum for his
mate and sleep. Then we shall catch
him
! Accordingly we all sank down. only
Oshupu watching. Presently the
muflled sound Of drumming was
heard, as if hand were heating a
! hollow Iee. Inc natives say tnat the
male makes this noise 10 call his mate
this theory naturalists do not authen-
ticate, but affirm that it is only when
the gorilla is excited and angry that
he drums, and the natives say that he
drums on hollow tree trunk, and not
upon his chest as is currently believed
l am not sble to give an opinion on
this subject. All | know IS that heard
d the sound
After a time, at a given signal, tho
natives spread themselves out, and
making long detour, surrounded the
spot where it was believed the gorilla
had stopped to rest They We're not
mistaken. for on the edge Of small
glade the big brute sat fast ASLEEP
!. with his back against a tree. Will