HUNTING CHIMPANZEES. 73 



nearly always hanging from the top branches of the high- 

 est trees, whence they watched me with wonder mingled 

 with fear. At the slightest movement on my part they 

 fled headlong, making dizzy leaps from branch to branch, 

 ending in running to cover in their huts, from which noth- 

 ing would tempt them. These shelters are usually in tlie 

 crotch between two branches, and are made of bamboo, 

 interwoven, and bound together and to the tree very 

 cleverly with withes. The roof is rounded like those of 

 the natives' huts, which, indeed, in all respects, it is not 

 unlike. One curious thing that I have often noticed is 

 that they choose a tree at a little distance from its neigh- 

 bors, so that no animal can use the branches of other trees 

 as drawbridges to the chimpanzee's fortress. The ap- 

 proach can be made only by the trunk of the very tree 

 in which the hut is built ; and there is no funnier sight 

 than to see a family of chimpanzees surprised a little way 

 from home, and making for it on the double-quick. Up 

 goes the mother first, one or two of her youngest clinging 

 to her neck; if there is a young one say two or three 

 years old, he follows next, slowly and uttering cries of 

 distress, until, as his strength nearly gives out and he 

 begins to slip back, his mother throws one of her long 

 arms back and grasps him, places him on her shoulder, 

 where he hangs in desperation, and she continues her 

 ascent with this addition to her precious burden. Mean- 

 while the male has remained at the base of the tree to 

 defend his family on their retreat, showing his teeth at 



