8 THE GORILLA. 



and reason than the common animals. In these pos- 

 sessed beasts the intelligence of man is united with 

 the strength and ferocity of the animal. 



" Some years ago a man disappeared, carried off 

 probably by a tiger. It was said, and believed, that 

 one day, whilst he was walking in the woods, he had 

 been metamorphosed into a hideous gorilla, which the 

 blacks had often pursued without being able to kill, 

 although he continually haunted the outskirts of the 

 village." 



Here is another story : 



Some natives encountered, in a field of sugar-canes, 

 a troop of gorillas tying up the canes in bundles to carry 

 them away. They attacked them, but the apes put 

 them to flight, and they lost many men, some killed, 

 others prisoners. A few days after, the latter returned 

 home with their finger and toe-nails torn off. 



Two Mbondemos women were walking in a forest, 

 when suddenly an enormous gorilla bestrode the path, 

 and seizing one of the women, carried her off, in spite 

 of her efforts and her cries. The other, trembling with 

 terror, returned to the village and related the adventure. 



Naturally, her companion was held as lost. What 

 was the general surprise when, at the end of a few 

 days, she returned home ! 



"It was a gorilla possessed by a spirit," cried one 

 of the hearers. 



