282 
TEAVELS IN CENTEAL AFEICA. 
the forest. The Neam Neam envoys^ however_, told me the bush 
was neither thick nor the trees high enough in the district we then 
were in to suit them ; hut that in their more hilly and nobler wooded 
country the animal was a constant inhabitant. If I would go with 
them they would show me lots_, and one of them went so far as to 
assure me that his uncle had a tame one^ to whom his premises 
were often confided with impunity for protection^, during the ab- 
sence of the family in the corn-fields_, and a better guard could not 
be imagined. He kept oflp man and beast,, and was tender and affec- 
tionate to the children,, the family,, and all their belongings of 
goats and fowls. He would often ramble away with the children 
in the fields and woods,, and was in the habit of absenting himself 
for hours in the bush to feed oflP the fruit and seeds of shrubs 
and treeS;, but before nightfall invariably returned to his perch on 
a framework in his master^s enclosurcj and kept a sedulous watch 
during the night. As I could not deviate from my course to pay a 
personal visit to their country and chief, Dari,, I promised to send 
some elephant hunters and traders to establish a station under his 
protection. With this project they were delighted^ and declaring 
there would be no difficulty to induce the owner to make me a 
present of the gorilla,, they avowed they would accompany me to 
my station at Wayo,, whence they would guide the promised hunters 
to their homes. From events^ however^ that I could not at the time 
foresee^ which subsequently will be explained,, my connection with 
the country and its trade abruptly terminated,, and deprived me 
amongst other advantages also of the possession of a tame gorilla. 
January \Qth , — Although my health was far from restored,, we 
were so anxious to proceed that I had no difficulty in screwing my 
courage up to the mark^ and consequently, at about nine a.m. I, for 
