514 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



respecting the gorilla's characteristics, is the following, told to 

 Du Chaillu by one of his escort : Two Mbondemo women were 

 one day walking together through the woods, when suddenly an 

 immense gorilla stepped into the path and seizing the handsomer 

 one bore her off in spite of her screams and struggles. The 

 other woman ran to the village people and related the occurrence, 

 and a search was made for the beast, but to no purpose. Several 

 days elapsed without any signs of the missing woman, and her 

 fato no one doubted. Great was the surprise, therefore, when 

 she returned home uninjured, and told her experience with the 

 gorilla. She said he handled her so carefully that not the least 

 injury was done, though he held her so tightly that escape was 

 impossible. For the several days she was kept a prisoner, the 

 gorilla treated her with much kindness, making a great bed of 

 leaves for her to lie on and supplying an abundance of berries for 

 her food. He proved a devoted lover, covering her with caresses 

 and other affectionate manifestations, but at length he left her 

 and she returned homo none the worse for her experience. 



Other stories were told of how the gorilla lies in wait in the low 

 branches of trees over a path and seizing the unfortunate persons 

 who may chance to pass beneath, draws them up and quickly 

 chokes them to death. Many natives declare that the spirits of 

 their dead take up their abode in gorillas, in which shape they 

 wreak vengeance on their enemies. 



In the evening after this vain hunt, Du Chaillu killed a 

 monkey, while some of his men found a beehive full of honey. 

 The monkey was roasted, and from this and the honey he was 

 able to satisfy the craving hunger which was fast enfeebling him. 

 Famine was still threatening, however, "and to save himself 

 from starvation Du Chaillu set off for a Fan village, where he 

 hoped to purchase food. Seeing a monkey in the high branches 

 of a tree, he tried to shoot the little animal, but it cunningly hid 

 itself; and while walking around in an effort to discover the 

 monkey, he was suddenly confronted by a Fan warrior 

 with his two wives. The sight of the dread cannibals gave 

 Dn Chaillu great fright, until he saw that the warrior himself 



