14 
NATURAL HISTORY , . 
One of tlie females had a young one following her. I had an excellent opportunity of watching the 
movements of the impish-looking band. The shaggy hides, the protuberant abdomens, the hideous 
features of these strange creatures, whose forms so nearly resemble man, made up a picture like a 
vision in a morbid dream. In destroying a tree, they first grasped the base of the stem with one of 
their feet, and then with their powerful arms pulled it down, a matter of not much difficulty with so 
loosely-formed a stem as that of the plantain. They then set upon the juicy fruit of the tree at the 
bases of the leaves, and devoured it with great voracity. While eating, they made a kind of chuckling 
noise, expressive ol contentment. Many trees they destroyed, apparently out of pure mischief. Now 
and then they stood still and looked around. Once or twice they seemed on the point of starting off 
in haste, but recovered themselves, and continued their work. Gradually tliey got nearer to the edge 
of the dark forest, and finally disappeared.” On the next day he was carrying a light gun, having 
given his heavy double-barrelled rifle to a boy to carry, when in a deep hollow, flanked with sugar-cane, 
he saw on the slope opposite to him a gigantic Gorilla standing erect, and walking directly towards 
him. Pointing his rifle, ho turned to look for the boy, but he had seen the Gorilla and bolted forth- 
with. The huge beast stared at Du Cliaillu for about two minutes, and then without uttering any 
noise moved off to the shade of the forest, running nimbly on his hands and feet. 
This running movement is performed principally by the arms, for the animal places the backs of 
its knuckles on the ground, straightens its elbows, and swings the huge body and short legs so that 
they come in front. Then the feet support the weight of the body until the knuckles are put on the 
ground in advance. 
Anxious to possess some adult Gorillas, Du Cliaillu offered rewards to the native hunters, and on 
one occasion they brought in three live ones, one being full-grown. This was a large adult female, who 
was bound hand and foot, and with it was her female child, screaming terribly, and the third was a 
vigorous young male, who was also tightly bound. The female had been ingeniously secured by the 
negroes to a strong stick, the wrists being bound to the upper part, and the ankles to the lower, so that 
she could not reach to tear the cords with her teeth. It was dark when they were brought in, and the 
scene was wild and strange in the extreme. (i The fiendish countenances of the Calibanlsh trio, one of 
them distorted by pain, for the mother Gorilla was severely wounded, were lit up by the ruddy glare 
of native torches.” The young male was secured by a chain, and Du Cliaillu gave him the name of 
Tom. His feet and hands were untied, and he immediately showed his want of gratitude by rushing 
at his possessor, screaming with all his might ; but the chain was happily made fast, and he did no 
harm. The old mother- Gorilla was in an unfortunate plight. She had an arm broken, and a wound 
in the chest, besides being dreadfully beaten about the head ; she groaned and roared many times 
during the night, probably from pain. She lived until the next day, her moanings were more frequent 
in the morning, and they gradually became weaker as her life ebbed out. Her death was like that of a 
human being, and her child clung to her to the last, and tried to obtain milk from her breast after she 
was dead. The young one was kept alive for three days on goat’s milk, but it died on the fourth day. 
The young male would not be photographed, for pointing the camera at him made the irascible little 
thing a small demon, but after some attempts his likeness was taken These Gorillas were caught on a 
promontory which runs into the sea like a spit. A woman had seen “ two sets of Gorillas on it with 
young ones, and the natives assembled, and armed themselves with great spears and axes, forming 
a line across the spit, advancing towards its extremity. They made a good deal of noise, and 
bewildered the Gorillas, who were shot down or beaten in their endeavours to escape. There were 
eight females together, but no large male.” Du Cliaillu, on hearing this, modified his opinion 
respecting the solitary habit of the animal, and he subsequently obtained proofs that they roam in 
bands of from five to ten. It. is true, however, that when Gorillas become aged, they seem to be 
more solitary, and live in pail's, or as in the case of old males, quite alone. He was assured by the 
negroes that solitary and aged Gorillas are sometimes seen almost white, for the hair becomes 
grizzled witli age. Evidently the animal migrates here and there in his restricted district during 
certain seasons, and they search for a little yellow berry called “ rubino,” which grows on a tree 
resembling the African teak ; and also two other fruits, one like the nectarine in size, and of the 
colour of the peach, but not having the rich bloom, and the other like a plum. The same traveller 
came suddenly on a band of Gorillas in a forest ; “ a whole group was on a tree hidden by the 
