394 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



for during the few weeks I remained at the 

 Gaboon, several dead specimens were brought 

 into the settlement, that had been shot by natives 

 with Birmingham muskets, which only cost a couple 

 of dollars each. Doubtless a man that had never 

 seen .any game larger than a rabbit, might feel a 

 little nervous in facing his first gorilla, an animal 

 which I found to be as hard to stalk as a red-deer, 

 and as little to be dreaded by any one having a 

 loaded gun in his hand. 



The M'pongue tribe are keen traders, and 

 nearly all speak more or less of English. Walker's 

 principal native trader was a tolerably intelligent 

 fellow, and got me a couple of boys as servants, 

 and a Bekelai man, who knew the river well, all of 

 whom could, at a pinch, serve as interpreters. 



be a truthful account of the country and the people, although I do 

 not deny that several errors have crept into it. For instance, my 

 own experienc^e leads me to believe that the danger of gorilla- 

 hunting is very much overdrawn. These animals may face man, 

 beating their breasts with rage, after the manner of negroes before 

 they fight, although I have not seen them do so, but I doubt their 

 roar ever being heard at a distance of three miles, and I cannot 

 compare them in any way with a lion ; nor would M. Du Chaillu, if 

 he had ever seen that noble beast in his own domain. 



