GORINCHEM 



Gorilla. 



The man-like ape of the 

 African forests 



fine male may attain a height of 

 slightly over ,6 ft., but the female 

 seldom exceeds 4 ft. 



The gorilla is distinguished from 

 the chimpanzee (q.v.) by its greater 

 size, larger teeth, heavy brow ridges 

 over the eyes, and great length of 

 the arms the hands reaching well 

 below the knees when the animal 

 stands erect. The adult animal 

 has also a more savage and bestial 

 look. In bulk and in length of 

 limbs the full-grown gorilla much 

 exceeds an average man. The 

 colour is black, though some speci- 

 mens show a slightly reddish tinge 

 on the head and shoulders, and the 

 body is covered with coarse hair. 



The hands are wider and stouter 

 than those of the chimpanzee, and 

 the fingers are partly united by 

 a strong web of skin, while the 

 thumb is short and of little use 

 as an opposable member. On the 

 other hand, the great toe is re- 

 markably developed, and the foot 

 is a powerful grasping instrument. 

 Owing to the shyness and wariness 

 of the gorilla, and its habitat in the 

 densest forests, little is known as 

 yet of its mode of life. The animals 

 appear to have some kind of family 

 life, the male and female being 

 found with young ones of various 

 ages, but it is doubtful whether 

 they have any permanent home. 



So far as is known, the gorilla in 

 its wild state lives on fruit and 

 roots, possibly varying its diet with 

 eggs and young birds, and it has 

 sometimes proved troublesome by 

 robbing plantations. 



The gorilla, like the chimpanzee 

 and the orang-utan, does not habit- 

 ually walk erect, but supports itself 

 with its hands, which are usually 

 partly closed so that the weight is 

 borne on the knuckles. In the trees 

 these animals progress with sur- 

 prising speed and agility, and can 



take long leaps that would appear 

 impossible for such heavily- built 

 animals. Ow'mg to its great muscu- 

 lar development and savage dis- 

 position, it is a very formidable op- 

 ponent when brought to bay, but 

 the -stories of aggression on its part 

 appear to be ill-founded. It rather 

 avoids encounter with man, and 

 makes off with great speed on his 

 approach. 



All attempts to keep the gorilla 

 in captivity for any length of time 

 have hitherto failed. Very young 

 specimens exhibit some docility 

 for a time, but soon mope and die. 

 Adults are quite untamable and 

 unmanageable, and quickly die in 

 captivity. Some six gorillas have 

 been kept in the London Zoological 

 Gardens, but none of them lived 

 for more than a few months. See 

 Monkey. 



Gorinchem OR GORKUM. Town 

 of the Netherlands, in the prov. of 

 S. Holland. It stands on the Mer- 

 wede at the inflow of the Linge, 22 

 m. E.S.E. of Rotterdam. The town 

 is picturesque, with 17th century 

 gateways and brick and stone 

 nouses decorated with mosaic 

 work. It has an excellent harbour, 

 and carries on a trade in cattle, 

 cereals, and hemp, while its salmon 

 fisheries are important. 



The Merwede canal communi- 

 cates with Amsterdam. A few 

 mites below Gorinchem begins the 

 Biesbosch, a district 40 m. in 

 area, which was overwhelmed by a 

 flood in 1421, when over 70 market 

 towns and villages were wiped out, 

 with death-roll exceeding 100,000. 

 The district has since been re- 

 claimed. Gorinchem was the first 

 city taken by the Water Gueux 

 (Beggars), the allies who helped 

 the Dutch by sea, from the Span- 

 iards in 1572. Pop. 12,053. 



Goring. Village and parish of 

 Oxfordshire. It is on the Thames, 

 opposite Streatley, on the Berk- 

 shire side of the river, 9 m. N.W. 

 of Reading. For the two there is a 

 station on the G.W. Rly. It is a 

 boating centre, being also visited 

 by anglers. There is a church with 

 a Norman tower 

 and formerly there 

 was a nunnery 

 here. It lies amid 

 beautiful scenery 

 and gives its name 

 to the gap between 

 the Chil terns and 

 the Marl borough 

 Downs through 

 which the Thames 

 flows. Here 

 Icknield Street 

 (q.v.) crossed the 

 river. Pop. 1,785. 



Goring Heath 

 is a village 3J m. 



GORIZIA 



away. Another Goring is a village 

 on the Sussex coast. 2^ m. W. of 

 Worthing. 



Goring, GEORGE GORING, LOBD 

 (1608-57). English royalist. Son 

 of George Goring, earl of Norwich, 

 he was born 

 July 14, 1608. 

 As a soldier, 

 he gained his 

 early experi- 

 ence in the 

 Dutch service, 

 before being 



made governor 



of Portsmouth HHP^bh^BP'" .i 

 in 1639. He Lord George Goring, 

 served Charles English royalist 



I in the short After V an D V ck 



wars against the Scots and was one 

 of those who suggested to the king 

 the idea of using the army to over- 

 awe the parliament. This army 

 plot was betrayed by him, but 

 when war began he was found on 

 the side of the king. 



Having surrendered Portsmouth, 

 he went to the Netherlands to 

 raise soldiers, and then had a 

 command in Yorkshire. He was 

 taken prisoner at Wakefield, but 

 was again free when Marston Moor 

 was fought, and there commanded 

 a wing. After this Goring held a 

 command in the W. of England, 

 where the plunderings of his troops 

 made him hated. He shared hi the 

 campaign that culminated in the 

 defeat at Naseby, and was himself 

 crushed at Langport hi July, 1645, 

 and he passed the rest of his days 

 in France and Spain. He com- 

 manded some English troops in 

 Spain, where he died. 



Gorizia, Town of Italy, for- 

 merly capital of the Austro-Hun- 

 garian crownland of Gorz and 

 Gradisca. It is 

 picturesquely 



F laced on the 

 sonzo, 23 m. 

 N. N. W. of 

 Trieste, and is 

 dominated by an 

 eminence which 

 is crowned by 



Gorizia arms 



the ancient stronghold of the 



Goring, Oxfordshire. The Thames, with the village 

 beyond, from Streatley 



