Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 7Sylvester, Charles Herbert
General
Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 7
Sylvester, Charles Herbert
Children's literature; Literature -- Collections
This incident led me to modify somewhat the opinions I had expressed, in
'Adventures in Equatorial Africa,' regarding some of the habits of the
gorilla. I there said I believed it impossible to capture an adult
female alive, but I ought to have added, unless wounded. I have also
satisfied myself that the gorilla is more gregarious than I formerly
considered it to be; at least it is now clear that, at certain times of
the year, it goes in bands more numerous than those I saw in my former
journey. Then I never saw more than five together. I have myself seen,
on my present expedition, two of these bands of gorillas, numbering
eight or ten, and have had authentic accounts from the natives of other
similar bands. It is true that, when gorillas become aged, they seem to
be more solitary, and to live in pairs, or, as in the case of old males,
quite alone. I have been assured by the negroes that solitary and aged
gorillas are sometimes seen almost white; the hair becomes grizzled with
age, and I have no doubt that the statement of their becoming
occasionally white with extreme old age is quite correct.
The gorilla is of migratory habits at some seasons of the year. He is
then not found in the districts usually resorted to by him when the
berries, fruits, and nuts are in season.
Besides my other collections I embarked a live gorilla, our little
friend Tom, and had full hopes that he would arrive safely and gratify
the world of London with a sight of this rare and wonderful ape in the
living state; unfortunately, he died on the passage. He did very well
for a few weeks, I am told, as long as the supply of bananas lasted
which I placed on board for his sustenance. The repugnance of the
gorilla to cooked food, or any sort of food except the fruits and juicy
plants he obtains in his own wilds, will always be a difficulty in the
way of bringing him to Europe alive. I had sent him consigned to Messrs.
Baring, who, I am sure, never had any such consignment before. I
promised the Captain that he should receive one hundred pounds if he
succeeded in taking the animal alive to London.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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