CHAPTER XI 
HUNTING GORILLAS IN CENTRAL AFRICA 
specimens for the group of elephants recently 
completed in the American Museum of Natural 
History in New York. My plan at that time was to 
leave the region of snow-capped Mt. Kenia when 
I had finished making my elephant studies, and to go 
into German East Africa, as it was then, in an en- 
deavour to get specimens for a group of gorillas to be 
mounted for the Museum. I had obtained the proper 
papers from the German authorities, and I had funds 
for the purpose. Nevertheless, I had to abandon 
the plan at that time because an elephant caught me. 
unawares and mauled me sufficiently to prevent my 
carrying out my project. 
But the gorilla group remained as an interesting 
prospect ahead, and I read eagerly any reports which 
came to my knowledge of hunters or scientists who 
had seen or killed any of these animals. Most 
gorillas reported since their original discovery had 
been reported from nearer the west coast of Africa 
than the region which I had intended to explore for 
them, but I had heard of one instance of a gorilla in 
German East Africa. The story was of a German 
who had tried to catch a grown gorilla in a net. He 
188 
|: 1910 I was in British East Africa collecting 
