New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-02
kelley Will
Hunt Gorilla i'm
African Wilds
Scientist and Trailer of Biz
Game TO Obtain Speci-
mems OF Fast Diminishing
Species for Museum
Will Lead Party of Five
Two Women and Girl Of Six
Years 10 Go Overland.
Cape Town TO the Congo

Carl E. Akeley, scientist, sculptor
and big game hunter, has completed
plans for an expedition into the heart
of Africa to study the gorilla and OBJ
tain specimens of that fast diminishing
species for the Museum of Natural His
tory. He will lead party of five, two
of whom are women and one a six
year-old girl.
THE primary object of the expedi-
ton is one of immediate necessity.n
Mr.. Akeley said, "as there exists very
real danger that the gorilla will be-
come exterminated before we have any
thing like an adeqate life history of
this most interesting of primates."
The party will embark next month
for the Congo via Cape Town and the
cape to Cairo" route. The members
will travel inland entirely by foot with
the assistance of a native safari. or
caravan. Mr.. Akeley said that no pre-
clse itinerary had been devised, but
that explorations covering period of
six months will be made and hundreds
of miles of territory travelled. The
members are, besides Mr.. Akeley, Miss
Martha Akeley Miller, his secretary;
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Bradley, of Chi
cago, the latter better known as Mary
Hastings Bradley, the writer, and the
Bradleys daughter, Alice
To Decide Details En- Route
1--WE intend to go into Africa
equipped with delightful uncer-
tainty and we will decide the details
OF the route as we 60" Mr.. Akeley said.
Behind this attitude lies a secondary
object of the trip, which the famous
explorer and hunter declares he has
long wanted to carry out
The true story of Africa has been
rarely told and more rarely listened to-
The general conception of it to-day
past heroes and would be heroes. They
are of interest to many only in so far
as they are full OF adventure and dan
ger. The story we intend to bring back
IS the story of healthy, beautiful re-
glons of interesting wild people and
wild animals, seen through the ewes of
q -year-old child an athletic young
woman and a writer with keen sense
tor the dramatic in her writings of
cosmopolitan affairs.
The two or three gorillas that may
be killed. Mr.. Akeley continued, will
be utilized at the Museum of Natural
History to the fullest extent for study.
All parts of their anatomy will be pre-
served for the use of specialists in the
various lines of research We hope
to get motion pictures of the gorillas
IN their natural habitat, but we realize
that only by very careful preparation
and special equipment will it become
remotely possible"
To Take Special Camera
Mr.. Akeley will take camera of his
own invention, designed expressly to
meet the difficulties Of wild animal
photography. He said it is necessary
to have an instrument that can be used
in dark places, one which can shoot"
a panorama rapidly and will operate
without noise.
Personally" said Mr.. Akeley, ~ be-
lieve the gorilla is an amicable, decent
chap who probably won't look for
trouble, but would make a terrible fight
for its life or family, if cornered.
don't consider that the party will be
in any more danger on this excursion
than you or l are in our own door
yards
81 wish emphatically to state, how
ever, that we are not ont to kill for
the fun of killing. When an adventurer
says that killing the gorilla is sport
he is as good as admitting that killing
his own human neighbor is good sport
That's how I consider the gorilla-so
close is it related to the human species,
and it is only for science and education
that we intend to kill any"