216 GORILLAS AND CHIMPANZEES 



number. I have once seen a large female with her 

 babe, quite alone ; whether she lived alone or was 

 only absent for the moment I cannot tell. 



The king gorilla does not provide food for his 

 family, but, on the contrary, it is said they provide 

 for him. I have been informed on two occasions, 

 from different sources, that the king gorilla has been 

 seen sitting quietly under the shade of a tree, eating, 

 while the others collected and brought to him the 

 food. I have never witnessed such a scene myself, 

 but it does not seem probable that the same story 

 would have come from two sources unless there was 

 some foundation for it. 



In the matter of government, the gorilla appears 

 to be somewhat more advanced than most animals. 

 He leads the others on the march, and selects their 

 feeding grounds and places to sleep ; he breaks camp, 

 and the others all obey him in these respects. 

 Other animals that travel in groups do the same 

 thing ; but in addition to this, the natives aver that 

 the gorillas from time to time hold palavers or a rude 

 form of court or council in the jungle. On these 

 occasions, it is said the king presides ; that he sits 

 alone in the centre, while the others stand or sit in a 

 rough semicircle about him, and talk in an excited 

 manner. Sometimes the whole of them are talking 

 at once, but what it means or alludes to no native 

 undertakes to say, except that it has the nature of a 

 quarrel. To what extent the king gorilla exercises 

 the judicial function is a matter of grave doubt, but 

 there appears to be some real ground for the story. 



