STOKIES OF THE NEGROES. 7 



that lie was disarmed, he seemed satisfied ; he looked 

 at him for an instant, and then left him and returned 

 into the depths of the forest. My father, on his side, 

 was well content, and pursued his journey." 



And the auditors cried" with one voice, " Yes, yes, 

 that's it; when you meet a gorilla, let fall your 

 lance, and you will appease him ! " 



"Some dry seasons since," said another, "a man, 

 after a violent quarrel, disappeared from my village. A 

 short time afterwards an Ashira, going into the forest, 

 met there a very large gorilla. This gorilla was the 

 man himself who had disappeared. He leapt on the 

 poor Ashira, bit a piece of flesh from his arm, and 

 then allowed him to go. The unfortunate man re- 

 turned with his arm all bleeding, and told me of his 

 adventure. I hope we shall not encounter any of these 

 man-gorillas, for they are very wicked beings, and we 

 shall have a terrible time of it. " 



The chorus replied, " No, no, we shall not meet with 

 these wicked gorillas ! " 



" They believe, in fact," says the author already 

 quoted, "that there are some gorillas of a particular 

 kind which serve as the habitation of the spirits of 

 certain dead negroes. The initiated recognize them by 

 mysterious signs, and, above all, by their extraordinary 

 stature. These gorillas, according to the Indians, can 

 never be taken or killed ; they have also more sagacity 



