THE GORILLA. y

a glimpse of one of the animals again; but an intervening
tree spoiled my mark, and I did not fire. We pursued
them till we were exhausted, but in vain. I protest I felt
almost like a murderer when I saw the.gorilla this first time.
As they ran on their hind legs with their heads down, their
bodies inclined forward, their whole appearance was that of
hairy men running for their lives. Add to this their cry, so
awful yet with something human in its discordance, and you
will cease to wonder that the natives have the wildest
superstitions about these ‘wild men of the woods.’”

Du Chaillus In his “Explorations and Adventures in Equa-
First Gorilla. torial Africa” du Chaillu gives an equally
thrilling account of the capture of his first gorilla. He says:
“We started early, and pushed through the most dense and
impenetrable part of the forest; in hopes to find the very
home of the beast I so much wished to shoot. Hour
after hour we travelled and yet no signs of gorillas. Only
the everlasting, little, chattering monkeys—and not many of
these—and occasionally birds. Suddenly Miengai uttered a
little cluck with his tongue which is the native way of
showing that something is stirring and that a sharp look-
out is necessary. And presently I noticed, ahead of us
seemingly, a noise as of some one breaking down branches
or twigs of trees. This was a gorilla—I knew at once by
the eager satisfied looks of the men. We walked with
the greatest care making no noise at all. Suddenly, as we
were yet creeping along, in a silence which made a heavy
breath seem loud and distinct, the woods were at once
filled with the tremendous barking roar of the gorilla. Then
the underbrush swayed rapidly just ahead, and presently
before us stood an immense male gorilla. He had gone
through the jungle on all fours; but when he saw our party
he erected himself and looked us boldly in the face. He
stood about a dozen yards from us, and was a sight I
think I shall never forget. Nearly six feet high (he proved