260 APES AND MONKEYS 



The cunning little imp saw me long before the mother did, 

 but it gave her no warning of danger. It lay with its 

 cheek resting on the back of her head. Its black face 

 looked as smooth and soft as velvet. Its big, brown eyes 

 were looking straight at me, but it betrayed no sign of fear 

 or even of concern. It really had a pleased expression 

 and wore the nearest approach to a smile I have ever seen 

 on the face of a gorilla. I believe that this is their method 

 of carrying the young and have elsewhere assigned other 

 reasons for this belief. In this case it is not a matter of 

 belief, but one of knowledge, and everything that I have 

 observed conspires to show that this is not an exception to 

 the rule. 



During my sojourn of nearly four months in the jungle, 

 where, it was said, a greater number of gorillas could be 

 found than in any other place in the basin of that lake, I 

 saw a total of only twenty-two. I saw one other at a time 

 while I was hunting in the forest. I caught only a glimpse 

 of him, and should not even have done that had not the 

 native guide discovered and pointed him out to me. I 

 believe that no other white man has ever seen an equal 

 number of these animals in a wild state, and it is certain 

 that no other has ever seen them under such favorable con- 

 ditions for study. I have compared notes with many white 

 men along that part of the coast, but I have never found 

 an}- reliable man who claims to have seen an equal num- 

 ber. All of them admit that my cage is the best possible 

 means of seeing the apes. I know men who have lived in 

 that part for years and who frequently hunt in the forest 

 for days at a time, but never yet have seen a live gorilla. 



