HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
losis to visit the Belgian and French) Congo for 
Anthropoid Apes. The 1905 expedition resulted in 
the capture of the celebrated gorilla, " Miss Crow- 
ther," with 25 chimpanzees. He has. undertaken 
other expeditions into Cape Colony, Basutoland, 
Portuguese Africa, the Transvaal, and Rhodesia, 
all of which resulted in valuable collections of 
animals, birds, reptiles and fishes. 
Councillor Hamlyn intends to issue his price list 
at various times as a magazine, and each one will 
contain articles of interest to lovers of natural 
history. While intimating to his numerous clients 
that he is carrying on business as usual, the worthy 
Councillor explains that the present arrivals in 
this country are absolutely nil; but his price list 
shows that he has in hand a large stock of birds 
and animals for disposal. 
An interesting account of the naturalist's first 
gorilla appears in this price list, in the course of 
which he says : — 
"Some 25 years ago I was asked 1 by the late 
Carl Hagenback to proceed to Havre to receive a 
consignment of 40 deer, which had been specially 
collected by one of his travellers in the Siberian 
Forest, and shipped from Vladivostock to Havre 
for transportation to Woburn, via Southampton. 
Arriving at Havre in good time, I made the neces- 
sary arrangements for shipping over, having pre- 
viously ordered a special train to be in readiness 
at the Southampton Docks on arrival of the Havre 
steamer. The following day the French Congo 
steamer arrived at Havre, and having nothing to 
do I went round to see if there was anything for 
disposal from those regions. There was at that 
time in Havre a well-known French dealer, a Mr. 
Schrager, who I met on the steamer, and, to my 
surprise, he gave me the startling information 
that there was a young gorilla there for sale. It 
was the property of the captain, or rather, it had 
been sent home for sale in his charge. We found 
it on the upper bridge, outside the captain's cabin, 
in an ordinary packing case, open to all wind and 
weathers. The captain demanded £40 for it, 
which I thought very reasonable. Mr. Schrager 
advised me to be in no hurry; he said there were 
no buyers so far as he knew, and would I leave the 
purchase to him. I asked naturally about the price 
he intended to offer. He suggested £121, and 
would only ask me £16. To this I naturally 
agreed. I suggested to Schrager that I should 
not be seen in the matter, for although I am sup- 
posed to be possessed of a large amount of self- 
confidence, I had not sufficient courage to offer 
£12 for a gorilla. Mr. Schrager made his offer. 
We were, just as I expected, politely asked to go 
ashore. The following day the Vladivostock 
steamer arrived with the collection of deer, so I 
left the gorilla entirely in Schrager's hands. In 
the evening he called at the hotel, stating the 
gorilla was in his establishment, and was mine for 
£16. It was a female. In first-class condition, 
absolutely shy and nervous, as all self-respecting 
gorillas are in captivity, I sailed the same night 
with the deer and my first gorilla for Southampton, 
where all arrived 1 well." 
Mr. Hamlyn then goes on to tell of his troubles 
about the special train at Southampton. However, 
the deer were safely delivered at Woburn, where 
he received the congratulations of His Grace the 
Duke of Bedford, and also of Mr. Carl Hagenback 
who was there awaiting him. 
Proceeding, Mr. Hamlyn says : — 
"The gorilla returned home with me to Euston 
and St. George's. At that time Messrs. Barnum 
and Bailey were touring the country with their 
vast show. They were at Southport. I wired 
offering a gorilla for £100. I received an answer 
from Mr. G. O. Starr,, representing Mr. James A. 
Bailey, asking me to come down if I had a gorilla. 
Having nothing else but a gorilla, I decided to 
go to Southport at once. Mr. James A. Bailey, 
with his usual business promptitude, said, 'Ham- 
lyn, if you have a gorilla, we shall be at Bristol 
on Monday, and if you deliver the gorilla on the 
show ground at Bristol, mid-day, you will be paid 
your £100.' I arrived' home from Southport on 
Sunday afternoon, and entering I gladly informed 
my wife that I had sold the gorilla for £100. In 
reply to which she said, 'Jack, the little fellow is 
dead. ' My reply was, 'Well, then, let us have our 
dinner.' On Monday I decided to dispose of the 
body to the first bidder, some dozen telegrams 
were dispatched to museums, hospitals, and 
various other institutions asking for offers, and I 
vowed it should go to the first one| received. I 
was disgusted with my first gorilla venture. The 
first telegram came, 'Accept gorilla for £10.' I 
instructed the keeper to pack the animal and 
deliver it at the station at once. Some twenty 
minutes after it had left another telegram arrived, 
'Best offer for gorilla £12,' yet another offer ar- 
rived for £15. Finally, I received an offer of £25. 
After that telegram I came to the conclusion that 
I was not an adept at gorilla dealing, alive or 
dead." 
Mr. Hamlyn adds a characteristic note about 
starting war on the German wild animal trade. 
He observes : — 
"Dealers in wild animals are born; they are not 
brought about by frivolous expeditions for rare 
birds." And he should know. In his periodical 
price list, ranging from zebra finches at 4/- each, 
to an Indian jungle cat — '"very rare, only one in 
Great Britain, no offers entertained" — he declares 
that an American story that England has organised 
a big wild animal trading concern to capture the 
German market is entirely new to him. Anyone 
with money, and without brains, can collect the 
animals, but it needs Mr. Hamlyn to get them 
home alive at a reasonable freight. Such is the 
tenour of his argument. 
East London Observer, 10th April, 1915. 
