Savage Africa, 
13 
dile charged the tent with much fury, repeating the assault 
so frequently and so desperately, that it was only by means 
of constant watchfulness and frequent use of their rifles, 
that they survived till morning. With morning light they es- 
caped from the vicinity of the infuriated crocodile ; but from 
that time, the creature was a terror to all who came near the 
river, killing animals and human beings indiscriminately. Of 
serpents, some terrible tales are told, both by travellers and 
natives. The Arabs believe that the serpent is rendered so 
heavy from bearing the sins of our forefathers, that one would 
sink a boat, were it to get on board. One of the most destruc- 
tive pests IS, however, neither animal nor reptile, but an in- 
sect, the tsetse fly. Expedition after expedition sent inland 
from the coast, has been conquered by this small enemy. 
It will not touch man, but it fixes upon all kinds of draught 
animals, such as horses, and cows, and its bite is certain 
death to all such. Another pest to travellers is the guinea- 
worm, which burrows in the leg, and must be drawn out 
carefully, by winding round a straw, an inch or two at a 
time, as, if broken ofl", it burrows again among the muscles 
of the limb. Some of the gorillas are called sokos,'' and, 
as described by Livingstone, must be most repulsive-look- 
ing creatures. He tells us that it is an ugly, hideous, 
pot-bellied creature, with yellow face, features somewhat 
human in their form, ears and hands resembling those of 
men, and immensely strong. One blow from the fist of a 
gorilla, or soko, will smash a man's skull, or break a double- 
barrelled gun in splinters. If attacked, a soko will en- 
deavour to get the hunter's hand in its mouth, when it will 
bite off all his fingers, crunching them between its strong 
teeth as easily as a biscuit. It does not however swallow 
these fingers, but coolly spits them out. Some of the na- 
tives assert that it will not attack women, or unarmed men, 
