GORILLAS 



197 



from some trader, when in truth he may not have 

 anything of the kind. 



The only point north of the Ogowe at which I 

 had any reason to believe a gorilla could be found 

 was in the neighbourhood of a small lake called 

 Inenga. This lake is nearly due west from the 

 mouth of the Nguni River and something more than 

 a hundred miles from the coast. Certain reports along 

 that part appeared to have some flavour of truth, but 

 there was no proof except the word of the natives. 



In the lake region south of the river they are 

 fairly abundant as far south as the head-waters of the 

 Rembo Nkami and through the low country of the 

 Esyira tribe, but they are very rare in the forests, 

 and unknown in the highlands and plains of this 

 country. South of the Chi Loango they are quite 

 unknown, and south of the Congo never heard of. 



There are no means possible to estimate their 

 number, but they are not so numerous as may be 

 supposed, and from the reckless slaughter of them 

 by the natives in order to secure them for white men, 

 they may soon become extinct. Their ferocity alone 

 has saved them up to this time from such a fate, but 

 the use of approved arms will soon overcome that. 



The skeleton of the gorilla is so nearly the same 

 as that of the chimpanzee, which has elsewhere been 

 compared to the human skeleton, that we shall not 

 review the comparison at length, but must note one 

 marked feature in the external form of the skull, 

 which differs alike from other apes and man. 



The skull of the young gorilla is much like that of 



