272 APES AND MONKEYS 



district to which that species belongs, but where he is very 

 seldom found and little known to the natives, he is called by 

 the Nkami tribe kanga iityigo, to distinguish him from the 

 common variety, to which the latter name only is applied. 



The etymology of the name kanga as applied to this ape 

 is rather obscure. In common use it is a verb, with the 

 normal meaning "to parch " or " fry," and hence the sec- 

 ondary meaning "to prepare." Since this ape is said to 

 be of a higher order of the race, the term is used to sis:- 

 nify that he is "better prepared" than the other; that 

 is to say, he is prepared to think and talk in a better 

 manner. But another history of this word appears to be 

 more probable. The ape to which the name is applied 

 lives between the Nkami country and the Congo. The name 

 is possibly a perversion of kongo and implies the kind of 

 ntyigo that lives towards the great river of that name. The 

 etymology of African names is always difficult because there 

 is no record of them ; but many of them can be traced out 

 with great precision, and some of them are unique. 



The name M' Bouve, as given by Du Chaillu, I have not 

 been able to identify. In one part of the country I was 

 told that the word meant the " chief " or head of a family. 

 In another part it was said to mean something like an 

 advocate or champion, and was applied to only one ape 

 in a family group. The Rev. A. C. Goocle, a missionary 

 who recently died near Batanga, was stationed for twelve 

 years at Gaboon. During that time he traveled all through 

 the OgOAve and Gaboon valleys. He was familiar with the 

 languages of that part, and he explained the word in about 

 the same way. 



