GORILLAS 



189 



the Atlantic watershed, to the head-waters of the 

 Chi Loango River, and with that to the coast. 

 Beyond these lines I have never been able to find 

 any trace of him, and along this boundary only now 

 and then are they found. I have seen two adult 

 and two infant skulls of the gorilla that were 

 brought by Mr. Wm. S. Cherry, from the Kisango 

 Valley, which lies north of the middle Congo in the 

 interior. The skulls are the only evidence I have 

 ever found of this ape existing so far eastward, but 

 they were said to have come from that part of the 

 valley lying directly under the equator. Mr. Cherry 

 did not collect them himself, but secured them from 

 natives, and does not claim to have seen any of these 

 apes alive. 



There appear to be three centres of population : 

 the first is in the basin of Izanga Lake ; the second 

 in the basin of Lake Fernan Vaz ; and the third in 

 the basin of the lake behind Sette Kama. They 

 are rarely ever found in high or hilly districts, but 

 appear to inhabit the hummock lands, which are 

 only elevated a few feet above tide-level. This is 

 singular, from the fact that the ape has a morbid 

 dislike for deep water, and I think it doubtful if he 

 can swim, although he has one peculiar character 

 that belongs to aquatic animals, which is a kind of 

 web between the digits, but its purpose cannot be to 

 aid in swimming. I have been told that the gorilla 

 can swim, and it may be true ; but I have never 

 observed anything in his habits to confirm this, 

 while I have noted many facts that controvert it. 



