108 GORILLAS AND CHIMPANZEES 



specimen I have ever known. It was clear and 

 smooth in uttering sounds of any pitch within its 

 scope, while the voices of most of them are inclined 

 to be harsh or husky, especially in sounds of high 

 pitch. 



Before leaving the village where I secured him, I 

 made a kind of sling for him to be carried in. It 

 consisted of a short canvas sack with two holes cut 

 in the bottom for his legs to pass through. To the 

 top of this was attached a broad band of the same 

 cloth by which to hang it over the head of the 

 carrier boy to whom the little prisoner was con- 

 signed. This afforded the ape a comfortable seat, 

 and at the same time reduced the labour of carrying 

 him. It left his arms and legs free, so he could 

 change his position and rest, while it also allowed 

 the boy the use of his own hands in passing any 

 difficult place in the jungle along the way. 



From there to the Rembo was a journey of five 

 days on foot. Along the way were a few straggling 

 villages, but most of the route lay through a wild 

 and desolate forest, traversed by low broad marshes, 

 through which wind shallow sloughs of filthy green- 

 ish water, seeking its way among bending roots and 

 fallen leaves. From the foul bosom of these 

 marshes rise the effluvia of decaying plants, breed- 

 ing pestilence and death. Here and there across 

 the dreary tracts is found the trail of elephants, 

 where the great beasts have broken their tortuous 

 way through the dense barriers of bush and vine. 

 These trails serve as roads for the native traveller, 



