OF THE MAN-LIKE APES 241 



miles of the sea. This, however, is only of late occurrence. 

 I am informed by some of the oldest Mpongwe men that 

 formerly he was only found on the sources of the river, 

 but that at present he may be found within half-a-day's 

 walk of its mouth. Formerly he inhabited the mountainous 

 ridge where Bushmen alone inhabited, but now he boldly 

 approaches the Mpongwe plantations. This is doubtless 

 the reason of the scarcity of information in years past, as 

 the opportunities for receiving a knowledge of the animal 

 have not been wanting ; traders having for one hundred 

 years frequented this river, and specimens, such as have 

 been brought here within a year, could not have been 

 exhibited without having attracted the attention of the most 

 stupid." 



One specimen Mr. Ford examined weighed 170 Ibs., 

 without the thoracic, or pelvic, viscera, and measured four 

 feet four inches round the chest. This writer describes 

 so minutely and graphically the onslaught of the Gorilla 

 though he does not for a moment pretend to have witnessed 

 the scene that I am tempted to give this part of his paper 

 in full, for comparison with other narratives : 



" He always rises to his feet when making an attack, 

 though he approaches his antagonist in a stooping posture. 



" Though he never lies in wait, yet, when he hears, sees, 

 or scents a man, he immediately utters his characteristic 

 cry, prepares for an attack, and always acts on the offensive. 

 The cry he utters resembles a grunt more than a growl, and 

 is similar to the cry of the Chimpanzee, when irritated, but 

 vastly louder. It is said to be audible at a great distance. 

 His preparation consists in attending the females and young 

 ones, by whom he is usually accompanied, to a little distance. 

 He, however, soon returns, with his crest erect and project- 

 ing forward, his nostrils dilated, and his under-lip thrown 

 down ; at the same time uttering his characteristic yell, 

 designed, it would seem, to terrify his antagonist. Instantly, 

 unless he is disabled by a well-directed shot, he makes an 

 onset, and, striking his antagonist with the palm of his hands, 

 or seizing him with a grasp from which there is no escape, 

 he dashes him upon the ground, and lacerates him with his 

 tusks. 



" He is said to seize a musket, and instantly crush the 

 barrel between his teeth. . . . This animal's savage nature 

 is very well shewn by the implacable desperation of a young 

 one that was brought here. It was taken very young, and 



