The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-01-29
STRENGTH OF THE GORILLA.
How 1t Kills Human Beings-Its At
tacks on Other Animals.

OF all the existing man apes the
gorilla is beyond question the most
formidable, a large male standing
not infrequently over Ave feet six
inches in height, and bones being
known Of one which apparently meas
ured in life no less than six feet two
inches. 1t is not, We now know from
experience in the gardens and else
where, always when young so utter
ly untamable beast" and so entire
ly and constantly an enemy of man"
as DuChaillu represented, but 1t is
savage and morose enough.
1t is still uncertain whether in q
wild state, except in the immediate
moment of attack 1t 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 its breast
when enraged (Du Chaillu says that
he heard the noise like a great bass
drum" at distance Of a mile) is es-
tablished, and when the male gorilla
turns, as seemingly it does, to con-
front man fearlessly when attacked.
with its huge size, its great hairy
limbs, and hideous head set almost
down into its shoulders, We can be-
lieve that mo description can exceed
the horror Of Its appearance" Add
that the gorilla usually lives in the
depth Of forests where the light is 80
dim that it is difYicult to see any OBJ
ject clearly at distance OF more
than few yards. and it Is not to be
wondered at that the natives have in
vested 1t with attributes even more
horrific than those which it posses
ses 'sr
Many believe the gorilla to be HUI
man; others hold that. though itself
beast, it is often informed with the
transmigrated spirits Of the human
dead. 1t is said to lie in wait crouch
ed on the lower branches OF trees oy-
erhanging path, and when a hu-
man being passes to drop one OF its
long hind limbs and clutching the
victim by the throat so suddenly and
in so terrible grip that hardly sob
Is heard, to drag it-man or woman
up to its lurking place. 1t is cred
ited with capturing and stealing wo-
men and carrying them off to keep
them in the forests, and, armed with
clubs, is said to attack and beat of
elephants. The formidableness of
the great apes as compared with 9TH
er beasts, however, is not an easy
matter to pass upon. In Africa IL ia
noteworthy that the lion and the 60
riila do not occur together, and it has
been conjectured both that the lion
has exterminated the gorilla within
its territory and that the gorilla has
driven out the lion.
In Borneo the most serious neigh
bors of the orange are the pvtbop
and the crocodile. and the natives
say that the ape overcomes them
BOTH the python by seizing and bit
Ing 1t, and the crocodile by leaning
on its back. clutching it by the upper
Jaw and by sheer main strength tear
ing IT open. The name "orang" is
IN itself title OF honor, meaning
roughly wise one" the Malays Civ
ing it alike to their chiefs. TO eIe-
phants and to the wild men" Per-
maps however, no native myth or
story eclipses in wonder the state
ment of Emin Pasha, made seriously.
that in the Mbongwe forest the chim-
panzees used to come TO rob the ba-
mana plantations in troops, bearing
torches to light them on the way,
Had l not witnessed this extraordi-
nary spectacle personally" he is re-
ported as saying, Il should not have
believed that any of the simians un-
derstood the art OF making fire.
unhappily we personally did not wit
ness it.--Iondon Times.