AN ENORMOUS GORILLA. 98 
continued. We walked with the greatest care, making ~ 
no noise at all. The countenances of the men showed 
that they thought themselves engaged in a very serious 
undertaking; but we pushed on, until I thought I 
could see through the woods the moving of the branches 
and small trees which the great beast was tearing down, 
probably to get from them the berries and fruits he 
lives on. | 
I remember how close we were to each other. 
Suddenly, as we were still 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 ahead, and pres- 
ently there stood before us an immense male gorilla. He 
had come through the jungle on all-fours, to see who 
dared to disturb him; but when he saw our party he 
stood up and looked us boldly in the face. He stood 
about a dozen yards from us, and it was a sight I shall 
never forget. He looked so big! Nearly six feet high, 
with immense body, huge chest, and great muscular — 
_arms, with fiercely-glaring, large, deep, gray eyes, and a 
hellish expression of face, which seemed to me like some 
nightmare vision. Thus stood before me the king of 
the African forest. 
How black his face was! 
He was not afraid of us. He stood there, and 
beat his breast with his huge fists till it resounded like 
‘ an immense bass-drum, which is their mode of offering 
defiance; meantime giving vent to roar after roar. 
This roar was the most singular and awful noise I 
had ever heard in these African. forests. It began with 
