Year: 1867

hellish dream creature, a being OF that hid


eo1ts order, half man, half beast. He ad-
vanced few steps, then stopped to utter
that hideous roar again, and beat his chest,
and finally stopped when at distance of
six yards from US, and here, just as he be-
gun one of his roars, beating his breast in
rage, fired and killed him. With groan
that had something terribly human in it,
and yet was full of brutishness, he fell for
ward on his face. The body shook con-
vulsively for a few minutes, the limbs
moved about in struggling way, and then
all was quiet, death had done his work, and
had leisure to examine the huge body.-
My people fed on it in the evening, care
fully saving the brain for ferches, OF which
two kinds are made, one giving the wearer
a strong arm for the hunt, and the other
making the wearer perfectly bewitching
with the women; as the more wives they
have the more they are to be envied. hence
it has become invaluable with them. In
the evening we had, with slight variation,
a repetition of the marvellous stories OF the
previous evening. Strange to say my ner-
vous system was so affected after having
killed this gorilla that trembled all over,
and am ashamed to say my lower Jaw
met my upper one against my will. Such
was my first encounter with male goril-
la. AS time went on, and L explored diff
ferent countries, i met more, but must say
that never shot male gorilla without a





plause. Preparing myself for gorilla hunt,
1 always blackened my face and hands. In
nv former expedition, while in the confine
OF the Ashira country, l arrived at an
Ashira Oloko, the people of which were
getting ready for hunt. The next day
every one was merry, in anticipation of
hunger satisfied, and plenty in the camp,
little dreaming what was to befall one OF
them. / gave powder to the whole party
of Ashira. Six were to go off in one di


rection for antelopes, wild boar, gazelles,
or whatever luck might send them, and six
others, of whom was one, were to hunt
for gorillas. We set off towards dark
valley, where Gambo Igoumba's son, who
was an Ashira chief, said we should find
our prey. The gorilla chooses the darkest
and gloomiest part of the forest for his
home, and is found only on the edges of the
clearings when in search of plaintain or
sugar cane. Often they choose for their
peculiar haunt wood so dark that at mid
day one can hardly see ten yards off. This
makes it more necessary to wait till the
monster approaches near before firing, in
order that the first shot may prove fatal,
for, as | have said, he does not often let
the hunter reload. Our little party separa-
ted, as it is the custom, to stalk the woods
in every direction. Gambo and kept to-
gether; one brave fellow went alone in
direction where he thought he could find
a gorilla; the other three took another
course. We had been about an hour sep
arated, when Gambo and l heard gun
fired but a little way from US, and
presently another. We were already on
our way to the spot where we expected to
see gorilla slain, when the forest began to
resound with the most terrific war. Gambo
seized my arms with great agitation, and
we hurried on, both filled with dreadful
and sickening alarm. We had not gone
far when our fears were realized. The poor
brave fellow that had gone alone was lying
on the ground in pool OF blood with lac
Grated abdomen. Beside him lay his gun,
the stock broken and the barrel bent and
somewhat fiattened. We picked him up
and 1 dressed his wound with rags torn
from my clothes, and gave him little
brandy. After while, i'll low voice, he
told the story. He fired at the gorilla;
thought he had wounded it in the side; re-
loaded Immediately, and just as he raised
his gun the gorilla dashed it out OF his
hands, the gun going off in the fall; and
then, in an instant, with terrific roar, the
animal gave him a tremendous blow with
his immense open paw, trightfully lacerat-
ing the abdomen, leaving the entrals pro-
truding. The wonder was that he was not
killed instantly. Then the monster lett
him to his fate. We hunted up our COM
panions and carried our poor fellow to the
camp. where all was excitement and sor-
row. The people at once declared that it
was no true gorilla that had at
tackled him, but man turned into go
rilla. This principal OF fdtdlism and of
transmigratiOn of souls is brought in by
them in all such cases, think chiefly to
keep up the courage of their hunters, on
whom such a nnschaRce exercises very de-
pressing influence. The hunters are the
most valued men in these negro villages.
A brave and fortunate one is admired by
all the women; loved by his wives, and en-
joys many privileges among his fellow vii
layers. His proudest time is when he has
killed an elephant or gorilla. The next
day Gambo shot monster gorilla. which
we supposed to be the one that killed the
poor hunter. This gorilla some of you may
have seen in the collection l exhibited in
this city OF all the specimens of natural his
tory 1 had collected. 1t was composed of
21 gorillas, several chimpanzees with their
skins and skeletons, about 1000 birds, and
some 200 quadrupeds of different sizes.
Many of these specimens were new to
science. offered it to the scientific insti-
tuition for the small sum of $4,000,
which was not half the amount L
had spent in that exploration. My
offer was regarded with Indifference,
and having no place there, l took them
to England, and received there good deal
more for it. have met and killed several
male gorillas, and they cameSto the attack
about in the way l have described to you
The superstitionS of the natives are very
great, and generally when we arrived in the
villages with gorillas, several of the women
went away for fear that they might give
birth to a gorilla. 1t has been my good for
tune to be the first to penetrate the haunts
of the gorilla, year after year. have seen
him and studied his habits; and while my
experience and observations prove that
many of the actions reported of him are
false, may say that no description can ex-
ceed the horror OF his appearance, the fe-
rocity of his attack, aud the tmpish ma
HQnity of his nature. l am sorry TO be the
dlspeller of such agreeable delusions, but
the gorilla does not lurk in trees by the
roadside and drag up unsuspicious passers-
by in his claws; he does not attack the ele-
phant and beat him to death with sticks
he does not carry away women; and the
stories of his attacking in great numbers
are false. Whenever | questioned the ma
tives, these things had always happened in
the time of their fathers; they could never
point to me any one who had seen them
fIaughter.l 1t lives in the loneliest and
darkest portion of the African jungle, pre-
ferring deep-wooded valleys and swampy
forest. 1t is restless, a nomadic beast,
wandering from place to place, and scarce
ly found two days in the same neigh
borhood. This restlessness is caused by
the struggle he has to find his favor
ite food, for though the gorilla possesses
such immense canine teeth. and though his
vast strength doubtless fits it to capture
and kill almost every animal which fire.
quents the forest, he is a strict vegetarian.
have examined the stomachs OF all those
we have killed, and found there nothing but
the traces of berries, pine apples, leaves,
nuts, and other vegetable matter. 1t is a
huge feeder. Its vast pauach, which pro-
trudes before him when he stands upright,
proves it to be great eater; indeed its
great frame and enormous muscular devel-
Opment could not be supported by little
food 1t does not live on trees-indeed his
enormous weight would prevent him from
Snrl, of the males nnuSt crl,