540 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



an enemy, and in his rage flattened the barrel between his strong 

 jaws. When we came upon the ground the gorilla was gone. 

 This is their mode when attacked to strike one or two blows, 

 and then leave the victims of their rage on the ground and go off 

 into the woods. 



"We hunted up our companions and carried our poor fellow 

 to the camp, where all was instantly excitement and sorrow. 

 They entreated me to give him medicine, but I % had nothing to 

 suit his case. I saw that his days were numbered ; and all I 

 could do was to make him easy by giving him a little brandy or 

 wine at intervals. He had to tell the whole story over again ; 

 and the people declared at once that this was no true gorilla that 

 had attacked him, but a man a wicked man turned into a gorilla. 

 Such a being no man could escape, they stiid ; and it could not 

 be killed, even by the bravest hunters." 



The poor fellow died in great pain on the second day. On the 

 same day Du Chaillu killed a gorilla which he thought must be 

 the same one that had fatally wounded his servant, as it answered 

 to the description which the dying man gave. Its height was five 

 feet seven inches, and it had a spread of arms of nearly sight 

 feet. Its weight was about 225 pounds. Two days later Du 

 Chaillu killed a still larger male, that measured five feet nins 

 inches in height and its arms spread out a distance of nine feet, 

 while its chest circumference was sixty-two inches. 



HABITS OF THE GORILLA. 



Du CHAILLU is the only explorer who has ever hunted and 

 made a special study of the gorilla. His observations are there- 

 fore of great importance, since he is recognized as the only 

 authority on the subject. His descriptions of the haunts and 

 habits of the animal are as follows ; 



"The gorilla is not gregarious. Of adults, I found almost 

 always one male with one female, though sometimes the old male 

 wanders companionless. In such cases, as with the ' rogue' ele- 

 phant, he is particularly morose and malignant, and dangerous to 

 approach. Young gorillas I found sometimes in companies of 

 five i sometimes less, but never more. The young always run 



