54 SEARCH FOR THE GORILLA AND THE IPL Chap. HL 



Holder, of the Cambria (a vessel just arrived 

 from England), one of my men came in with 

 the startling news that three live gorillas had been 

 brought, one of them full grown. I had not long 

 to wait ; in they came. First, a very large adult 

 female, bound hand and foot ; then her female 

 child, screaming terribly ; and lastl}^, a vigorous 

 young male, also tightly bound. The female had 

 been ingeniously secured by the negroes to a strong 

 stick, the wrists bound to the upper part and the 

 ankles to the lower, so that she could not reach to 

 tear the cords with her teeth. It was dark, and 

 the scene was one so wild and strange that I shall 

 never forget it. The fiendish countenances of the 

 Calibanish trio, one of them distorted by pain, for 

 the mother gorilla was severely wounded, were lit up 

 by the ruddy glare of native torches. The thought 

 struck me, what would I not give to have the group 

 in London for a few days ! 



The young male I secured by a chain which I had 

 in readiness, and gave him henceforth the name of 

 Tom. We untied his hands and feet ; to show his 

 gratitude for this act of kindness he immediately 

 made a rush at me, screaming with all his might ; 

 happily the chain was made fast, and I took care 

 afterwards to keep out of his way. The old mother 

 gorilla was in an unfortunate plight. She had an 

 arm broken and a wound in the chest, besides being 

 dreadfully beaten on the head. She groaned and 

 I'oared many times during the night, probably from 

 pain. 



I Jioticcd next day, and on many occasions, that the 



