8 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



Battel, whose adventures in West Africa were given in " Purchas his 

 Pilgrims," published in 1625; here are described two "monsters" found 

 in the West African forests, as the " Pongo " and " Enjocko." His 

 " Pongo" was evidently the Gorilla, the other ape being the Chimpanzee, 

 still called '"Ntschego" by the natives, while the Gorilla is known as 

 M'pungu. 



The Gorilla is still a very little-known animal, however, and its 

 delicacy has so far prevented us from gaining much knowledge of its 

 habits even in captivity, for it is difficult to keep alive even in its 

 own country, and the few individuals, all young, which have been 

 exhibited in Europe have seldom lived even for a year. Several have 

 been exhibited in our own Zoological Gardens, but the first one brought 

 to England was one for some time exhibited in a travelling menagerie 

 as a Chimpanzee! The Gorilla which so far has done best in captivity 

 is one which lived in the Berlin Aquarium, and had been carefully 

 looked after in West Africa for some time before he reached that 

 institution. He was allowed a good deal of liberty, had his meals at 

 table and behaved well, and showed much affection for his human 

 friends, though rather mischievous. In fact, his manners appear to 

 have been much the same as those of the Chimpanzees treated in the 

 same way, which I have been able, as previously remarked, to observe. 



The Gorilla is, however, undoubtedly not only more delicate than the 

 Chimpanzee, but is generally, at any rate, quite different in temperament, 

 being fiercer, and at the same time more nervous and sensitive, so that it 

 is always likely to require greater care in its management. I was par- 

 ticularly struck by the human way in which a female imported by Mr. 

 Hamlyn — the largest which has reached England alive so far — covered 

 her face with handfuls of hay held up to it when looked at in her travel- 

 ling cage, and then struck the bars furiously if the inspection were perse- 

 vered in. Such an animal as this needs very considerate handling, but 

 the obstacles to its successful treatment ought not to be insuperable. 



