Chap. XX. THE GUAXONIEN — APES. 411 



must have been those of formidable animals, and 

 these now and then succeeded, it appears, in giving 

 such bites to this eagle that they disabled him. For 

 a while I thought myself in the Valley of Golgotha. 

 Then I saw at the top of a gigantic tree, at the foot 

 of which were the skulls, the nest of the bird, but 

 the young had flown away. I was told by the 

 natives that the guanonien comes and lays in the 

 same nest year after year. When an adult specimen 

 will be procured, it may be found to rival in size the 

 condor of America. 



By the side of wild men roamed the apes, the chim- 

 panzee forming several varieties. These are called 

 by the negroes the Nschiego, Nschiego Nkengo, 

 Nschiego Mbouve, and Kooloo Kamba, all closely 

 allied, and I think hardly distinguishable from each 

 other by their bony structure. Then came the largest 

 of all, the gorilla, which might be truly called the king 

 of the forest. They all roamed in this great jungle, 

 which seems so well adapted to be their homes, for 

 they live on the nuts, berries, and fruits of the forest, 

 found in more or less number throughout the year ; 

 but they eat such a quantity of food that they are 

 obliged to roam from place to place, and are found 

 periodically in the same district. 



The elephant has become scarce, and recedes 

 farther and farther every year into the fastnesses 

 of the interior. 



Miles after miles were travelled over without hear- 

 ing the sound of a bird, the chatter of a monkey, or 

 the footstep of a gazelle, the humming of insects, the 

 falling of a leaf ; the gentle murmur of some hidden 



