MV FIRST GORILLA. 55 



entire keg when we reach Cape Lopez at the end of the 

 trip. 



"■ I prefer the latter," he decided. 



I was afraid for a moment that this might set discon- 

 tent at work in the African's head. But I was mistaken, 

 quite. The African does nothing for nothing. He has 

 no idea of devotion in putting himself into danger ; he 

 simply wishes to get a keg of fire-water upon which to 

 become drunk at his leisure ; and Thursday appreciated 

 my right to his entire energy and wit to guide our 

 little caravan through a country where danger is the 

 rule. 



At last I had my young gorilla ; and I began at once his 

 education by whipping him gently with a bit of banyan 

 wood, which frightened him so that he left off biting at 

 me immediately ! 



I could not carry out my experiments while we were on 

 the march, so I decided to camp a few days in the first 

 village we came to, which happened to be Stromb}-, a 

 rather important town twenty-five or thirty kilometres 

 east of Rembo. The king of the country had already 

 met a number of white traders who had come thither 

 for ivory ; and he received me in a most friendly manner, 

 and announced to his subjects assembled that I was " his 

 brother " and was to be respected as such. This done, he 

 gave me his hand, which is a sign not to be misunder- 

 stood, as it stands for the same thing in every countr}' of 

 whatever deo-ree of civilization under the sun. 



