The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-12-29
STRENGTH OF THE GORILLA.
Its Murderous Attacks on Human
Beings and Wild Animals.

Its Murderous Attacks on Human
Beings and Wild Animals.
London Times: Of all the existing
man apes the gorilla is beyond ques-
ton the most formidable, a large male
standing not infreuuently over five
feet six inches in height, and bones
being known Of one which apparently
measured in life no less than six feet
two inches. 1t is not, we now know
from experience in the gardens and
elsewhere, always when young quite
so utterly untamable beast" and so
entirely and constantly an enemy Of
man." as DR.. ChailIu represented; but
it savage and r orose enough.
It is still uncertain whether in
wild state, except in the immediate
moment of attack, it ever actually
walks erect without either resting Its
knuckles on the ground or supporting
itself by a branch overhead, but that
it does beat its fists upon it's breast
when enraged (Du Cahillu says that
| he heard the noise "like a great bass
drum" at a distance of a mile) Is es-
tablished; and when the male gorilla
turns, as seemingly 1t does to con-
front man fearlessly, when attacked,
with it's huge size, IT'S great hairy
limbs and hideous head set almost
down into its shoulders, we can be-
lieve that mo description can exceed
the horror of it's appearance" Add
that the gorilla usually lives in the
depths of forests. here the light Is 80
dim that 1t is difficult to see any OBJ
| ject clearly at a distance of more than
few yards, and 1t is not to be won
dered at that the natives have in
vested it with attributes even more
horrific than those which 1t possesses
Many believe the g lila to be hui
man; others hold that. though itself q
beast, it is otter informed with the
| transmigrated spirits of the human
dead. 1t is said to die In wait crouch-
ed on the lower branches of trees over
hanging path, and when human be-
ing passes to drop one of its long hind
limbs, and, clutching tht victim by
the throat so suddenly and in so ter
rife grip that hardly sob is heard,
to drag it-man or woman-up to us
lurking place. 1t is credited with cap
turing and stealing women and carry
ing them off to keep them in the for
ests, and armed with clubs, Is said 70
attack and ward off elephants the
formidableness of the great apes as
compared with other beasts, however, Is
not an easy matter to pass upon. IN
Africa 1t Is noteworthy that the lion
and the gorilla do not occur together
and 1t has been conjetured both tnal
the lion has exterminated the gorilla
within it's territory and that the gorilla
J has driven out the lion.
In Borneo the most serious neigh
bors Of the orang are the python ano
the crocodile, and the natives say tna
the ape overcomes them both, ths
python by seizing and biting It, anc
the crocodile by leaping on It's DacA
clutching it by the upper jaw, ant D'
sheer main strength tearing it open
The name "orang" Is in itself rti'
of honor, meaning roughly wise one.
I the Malays giving 1t alike to thel
chiefs to elephants and to the wiz
men," Perhaps. however, no natiV'
myth or story eclipses in wonder TN
statement of Emin Pasha, made ser
iously, that in the Mbongwe forest IN
chimpanzees used to come to ROB IN
banana plantations in troops, bearlnl
torches to light them on tn way. ha'
! I not witnessed this extraordinaf'
spectacle personally" he is reported y
saying, Il should not have believed ina
any of the sirnians understood the q
: of making fire." Unhappily, we per
sonally did not witness 1t.