OTHELLO AND OTHER GORILLAS 249 



He is always on the alert for danger, and rarely 

 comes into the open parts of the bush except for 

 food. He can conceal himself with more ease than 

 a man can, and has every advantage in making his 

 escape. I do not believe that he will ever approach 

 a man if he can evade him. I quite believe that he 

 will make a strong defence if surprised or attacked, 

 but I do not believe it possible for any one to see a 

 great number of gorillas in any length of time unless 

 he goes to some one place and remains there as I 

 have done. Even then he must sometimes wait for 

 days without a trace of one. Silence and patience 

 alone will enable him to see them ; but when the 

 gorilla sees him he at once retires as soon as he 

 discovers the nature of the thing before him. He 

 does not always flee in haste as many other animals 

 do, but is more deliberate and cool. He will retreat 

 in good order, and as a rule always starts in time if 

 possible to escape without being observed. I trust 

 that I may be pardoned for not being able to be- 

 lieve that every stranger who visits that country is 

 attacked by a gorilla. 



In addition to those I have seen in a wild state, I 

 have seen about ten in captivity. Two of those were 

 my own. They were good subjects for study, and I 

 made the best use of them for the time I had them. 



I accomplished one thing while in the jungle, for 

 which I feel a just sense of pride, and that was 

 making a gorilla take a portrait of himself This 

 will interest the amateur in the art of snapshots, and 

 I shall relate it. 



o 



i 



