HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
75 
that his sight failed him a little, his faculties 
were unimpaired, his hearing and memory being 
especially good. In habits he was strictly tem- 
perate in all good things, and almost a total 
abstainer from strong drinks, and he was a non- 
smoker. He was apprenticed at Shepton Mallet 
in 1827 at the oldest drapery establishment in 
the town (a firm that has only changed hands once 
since that time), and at the conclusion of his term 
commenced in business for himself in Taunton 
as a tailor, hatter, outfitter, and woollen draper, 
and this he carried on successfully for a number 
of years. He then came to London for a few 
years, being engaged in accountancy, but soon 
returned to Somerset to spend his time in quiet 
country pursuits in the town where he was appren- 
ticed 88 years ago. On the celebration of his 
centenary in May, 1915, Mr. Hamlyn was tlhe 
recipient of many congratulations and birthday 
greetings. One, in particular, gave very great 
pleasure to the old gentleman — a message from 
the King, showing a kindly interest in Mr. Ham- 
lyn 's welfare. It is of interest to record that Mr. 
Hamlyn was christened at Martock nine days 
before the Battle of Waterloo." 
I now wish to thank the many Councillors, 
Guardians, and others, for their expression ofi 
sympathy during this most trying time. The 
Guardians of the Stepney Union were particularly 
thoughtful and kind in expressing a hope that I 
might be spared for as long a period to continue 
my useful public work. 
JOHN D. HAMLYN. 
Dr. Richard L. Garner's Research 
Expedition to Gorilla Land. 
The New York "Sun" gives the following 
particulars concerning this most extraordinary 
man : — 
"Dr. Richard L. Garner, undeterred by his 
seventy years of age and the perils of sea 
travel in war time, is now on his way back 
to Central Africa to study our backward cousin 
the ape. 
" He proposes to secure moving pictures 
of gorillas and chimpanzees at home with their 
families; entertaining one another; calling, 
moving about to visit one another or to search 
for food, in groups, usually on their hind legs, 
man fashion, when they do not know they are 
being observed; one taking a nap, perhaps, on 
the peculiar and ,someti'mes comfortable bed 
these beasts prepare for themselves. Natural- 
ists believe that gorillas sometimes try a bed 
during the day before occupying it at night. 
" Incidentally, Dr. Garner will try once more 
to bring back a live gorilla. 
"Live gorillas are obtained by native hun- 
ters, never by a white man, and they must be 
caught when they are young or not at all. A 
full-grown worilla will kill himself before sur- 
rendering. When cornered he uses himself up 
in his fierce fighting; if caught in a trap he 
will beat himself to death in an effort to escape. 
" Susie, a female chimpanzee, brought over 
in 1910, whom Dr. Garner hopes to replace, 
went to a school for deficient children in Phila- 
delphia, and learned more quickly than any of 
them. She died of summer complaint in 1913." 
The first I ever heard of Dr. Garner was 
whilst collecting Chimpanzees land Gorillas in 
the Sette Cama district, French Congo Seaboard, 
in 1904. One morning when in my compound on 
the river beach, a native runner handed me a let- 
ter from that gentleman who it appears was 
living up in the Egowe district, stating there were 
Chimpanzees, Gorillas and Jiggers there in abun- 
dance. The latter insect I did not require, for 
there were plenty at Sette Cama. The celebrated 
cage was then, I believe, on its way to his lonely 
habitation. We, on the coast, often wondered 
how the Doctor would "fix" up on its 'arrival. 
There were many doubters as to whether Gorillas 
and Chimpanzees would ever approach Garner's 
cage. Some of the old coasters, well versed in 
Gorilla ways, declared that if a family of those 
intelligent animals discovered the Doctor inside 
the cage, there would be the greatest Animal Act 
that was ever perpetrated in the annals of Natural 
History. They would calmly lay siege to* the 
structure — Doctor and all — with the natural re- 
sult that the Doctor with cage would be ruthlessly 
destroyed, and scattered in a thousand pieces to 
adorn the Congo forest, with a lasting tribute 
to Garner's devotion to his beloved Apes. 
To have lived in his lonely clearing as he 
lived, far away from other white men, was a won 
derful feat of endurance. 
His companions, when I was out there, were 
two good sized Chimpanees, whom he had trained 
to attend to his various wants. One actually 
went to the river daily for water. The other col- 
lected firewood and fruits for the household. 
Such an extraordinary trio have never been seen 
before, and certainly never will again. However 
Dr. Garner can leave the pleasures of New York 
for that district again, I cannot understand. 
It was a very great pleasure to meet him in 
London some years ago> on his leaving on one 
of his Congo journeys. It was an eventful dinner. 
I believe a " Prehistoric" one. He proved a won- 
derful conversationalist. The Doctor opened out 
with the soup, somewhere about seven, and at 
eleven o'clock still held the company in rapt at- 
tention with his flow of eloquence in recounting 
