542 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



ensues a long, deeply-guttural rolling r, continued for over a 

 minute, and which, doubled and multiplied by the resounding 

 echoes of the forest, fills the hunter's ears like the deep-rolling 

 thunder of an approaching storm. I have reason to believe that 

 I have heard this roar at a distance of three miles. The horror 

 of the animal's appearance at this time is beyond description. 

 It seems as monstrous as a nightmare ; so impossible a piece of 

 hideousness that, were it not for the danger of its savage 

 approach, the hunter might fancy himself in some ugly dream. 



"It is a maxim with a well-trained gorilla-hunter to reserve 

 his fire till the very last moment, for if he misses, the gorilla at 

 once rushes on him, and this onset no man can withstand. One 

 blow of that huge paw, with its bony claws, and the poor hunter's 

 entrails are torn out, his breast-bone broken, or his skull crushed. 

 It is too late to reload, and flight is vain. 



"The gorilla is only met in the most dark and impenetrable 

 jungle, where it is difficult to get a clear aim, unobstructed by 

 vines and tangled bushes, for any distance greater than a few 

 yards. For this reason the hunter wisely stands still and awaits 

 the approach of the infuriated beast. The gorilla advances at 

 short stages, stopping to utter his diabolical roar and to beat his 

 vast breast with his paws. His walk is a waddle, from side to 

 side, his hind legs, which are short, being somewhat inadequate 

 to the proper support of his huge superincumbent body. He 

 balances himself by swinging his arms, and the vast paunch, the 

 round bullet-head joined awkwardly to the trunk with scarce a 

 vestige of neck, and the great muscular arms, and deep, cavern- 

 ous breast, give to this waddle an ungainly horror, which adds to 

 his ferocity of appearance. At the same time, the deep-set grey 

 eyes sparkle out with gloomy malignity ; the features are contorted 

 in hideous wrinkles, and the slight, sharply-cut lips, drawn up, 

 reveal the long fangs and the powerful jaws, in which a human 

 limb would be crushed as a biscuit. 



" The hunter, looking with fearful care to his priming, stands 

 still, gun in hand, often for five weary minutes, waiting with 

 growing nervousness for the moment when he may relieve his 



