528 WILD ANIMALS. 



the barrel, and as he carries it to his mouth (which is his habit) 

 he fires ; should the gun fail to go off, the barrel (that of an 

 ordinary musket, which is thin) is crushed between his teeth, and 

 the encounter soon proves fatal to the hunter. 



" In the wild state their habits are in general like those of the 

 Troglodytes niger, building their nests loosely in trees, living on 

 similar fruits, and changing their place of resort from force of 

 circumstances." 



The descriptions given by certain noted travellers and the 

 mystery that seemed to shroud the gorilla greatly excited the 

 curiosity of the hunter Paul B. Du Chaillu, and he determined 

 to penetrate to its haunts, and see it with his own eyes. The 

 result of this resolution is given in his book, " Explorations 

 and Adventures in Equatorial Africa," published in 1861, which 

 excited considerable curiosity and some hostile criticism. 



The first interview he had with a gorilla in his native woods 

 is described in the following manner : " Suddenly, as we were yet 

 creeping along in a silence which made even a heavy breath seem 

 loud and distinct, the woods were at once filled with a tremendous 

 barking roar; then the underbush swayed rapidly just ahead, and 

 presently stood before us an immense gorilla. He had gone 

 through the jungle on all fours, but when he saw our party he 

 erected himself and looked us boldly in the face. He stood about 

 a dozen yards from us, and was a sight I think I shall never 

 forget. Nearly six feet high (he proved four inches shorter), with 

 immense body, huge chest, and great muscular arms, with fiercely- 

 glaring, large, deep grey eyes, and a hellish expression of face, 

 which seemed to me some nightmare vision ; — there stood before 

 us the king of the African forest. He was not afraid of us ; he 

 stood there and beat his breast with his large fists till it resounded 

 like an immense bass drum (which is the mode of bidding 

 defiance), meantime giving vent to roar after roar. 



" His eyes began to flash fiercer fire as we stood motionless on 

 the defensive, and the crest of short hair which stands on his 

 forehead began to twitch rapidly up and down, while his powerful 

 fangs were shown as he again sent forth a thunderous roar 

 and now truly he reminded me of nothing but some hellish dream- 



