Lost in the Jungle; Narrated for Young PeopleDu Chaillu, Paul B. (Paul Belloni)
General
Lost in the Jungle; Narrated for Young People
Du Chaillu, Paul B. (Paul Belloni)
Africa, West -- Description and travel; Africa, West -- Description and travel -- Juvenile literature
Querlaouen was perfectly wild. While the gorilla was coming to the
attack, he cried out with his powerful voice several times, and with all
his might, "Kombo, come here if you dare! come here!" He gave a
tremendous shout as the gorilla fell, advanced toward the dead monster,
fired right into his body, and then whirled round toward me. I thought
he had become insane, he looked so wild.
When we went up to the gorilla he was quite dead. His eyes were wide
open, his lips shut, and his teeth clinched together. When I took hold
of his hand a cold shiver ran through me, it was so big. The hand of
Goliath, the giant, could not have been any larger.
When we returned to the camp, and told how we had slain the gorilla,
there was immense rejoicing. Soon after a number of men went with
Querlaouen to fetch the monster, and when it made its appearance in the
village the people became intensely excited, and it was all I could do
to prevent them from hacking the body to pieces. I am happy to say,
however, that I was able to bring this big specimen to New York.
CHAPTER XVI.
FUNERAL OF THE GORILLA'S VICTIM.--A MAN'S HEAD FOR THE
ALUMBI.--THE SNAKE AND THE GUINEA-FOWL.--SNAKE KILLED.--VISIT
TO THE HOUSE OF THE ALUMBI.--DETERMINE TO VISIT THE SEA-COAST.
Now the people were to bury the man who had been killed by that big
gorilla. His kindred arrived to get the body to carry it to his village.
Every man had his body and face painted in all sorts of colors. They
also wore their fetiches, and looked like so many devils coming out of
the woods.
After traveling the whole day we came to a strange village on the top of
a hill, at the foot of which there was a beautiful little stream, the
water of which never dried during the season when there was no rain.
As soon as we made our appearance the sounds of wailing and weeping
filled the air. The body was taken to the house of the deceased, where
his widows--for he had three wives--mourned, and wept, and cried so that
I felt the greatest sympathy for them.
At sunset silence reigned in the village. All the women had gone into
their huts, while the men seated themselves on the ground or on their
little stools. But suddenly a great wailing rent the air, and from every
hut came lamentations--sounds that were heart-rending. Then they sang
songs, praising the departed one--songs such as I have described to you
young folks in "Stories of the Gorilla Country."
At last, after two days, six stout men, covered with fetiches and
painted in the most fantastic manner, came to take the body, to leave it
in the woods under some big tree.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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