CHAPTER IX. 
A GREAT GORILLA. 
A FEW days after killing the hippopotamus I took a 
solitary path in the woods, leading to one of the la- 
goons or creeks so common along this coast. Many of 
the trees growing in the woods belonged to a species of 
African teak. The soil being sandy, the forest was not 
dense. Here and there a cluster of palms, bearing the 
nut that furnishes the palm-oil, was seen. Liannes and 
creepers twined round some of the trees and hung grace- 
fully down. The limbs and trunks of many trees were 
literally covered with orchid, commonly called ar 
plant. These when in bloom bear very beautiful flow- 
ers which shed a delicious fragrance. 
In many places the pire-apple plants were very abun- 
dant and grew by thousands close together. 
Now and then a little stream, meandering through the 
woods, found its way to the creek or to the sea. 
Birds were scarce, very scarce, and the silence of the 
woods was only broken by the booming sound of the 
heavy surf, as each wave broke in foaming white bil- 
lows before it reached the shore. The wind blew hard, 
as usual at that time of the year, and whispered strange- 
ly as it passed through the trees to the country behind. 
