If the men are strange, the beasts roaming in that great forest are still more wonderful to behold. The huge elephant roams everywhere on its rivers and lakes, the hippopotami are numerous in the sluggish streams, and the lakes are filled with crocodiles of huge size. The great gorilla, which I discovered, is the terror of the natives, and is called by them the Giant of the Forest. The strong man of the woods wanders continually in search of fruits, berries, and nuts. When night comes he sleeps at the foot of a tree, while his wife, the female gorilla, is sleeping on its branches. The gorilla never makes a shelter or a house for himself. Those who describe them as making houses mislead you. Friend Paul killed many of these gorillas, and was the first white man who ever hunted them and saw them in their wild state.
Besides the gorilla, Friend Paul saw several other wonderful kinds of man-like apes, also the common chimpanzee, called by the natives nshiego. Then he discovered three new species or varieties of the chimpanzee family, known to the natives under the names of Nshiego-mbouve, apes with bald heads and black faces; the Nshiego-nkengo, whose faces always remain yellow; and the Kooloo-kamba. All these apes are very shy, and the hunter to approach them has to be very wary.
Dear friends, we are to travel together in that great African forest. We will carry no tents with us; we will build a new camp every day when we are on the march, and we will protect ourselves from the rain by building slanting roofs, covered with large leaves put on the top of each other as we do with shingles, slates, or tiles at home. We will protect ourselves from the wild beasts by burning all night large fires—the wild beasts are afraid of fire. These fires will protect us also from snakes and voracious ants.
When we cannot find game we will be hungry together, and, like the monkeys, we will have to eat the wild berries, nuts, and fruits of the forest. When we cannot find these we will starve together until Providence comes to our rescue. At other times, when food is very scarce and it becomes a matter of life and death, we will be obliged to eat snakes, or sometimes leopards. When we have plenty, we will eat elephants, hippopotami, crocodiles, buffalo, wild boar, antelope, gazelles, and other animals. Often we will feast on monkeys—these at certain times of the year are delicious. Then, when we get into regions where no animals are to be seen, and fruits, nuts, and berries cannot be found—then we will drink water, which will help us to keep body and soul together. At times we will lie down under some big tree, ill with fever or weak from starvation. Then we shall think of the sweet home that is so far away, and wonder if we will ever return there again.
[CAPTAIN HANK'S SUBSTITUTE.]
Captain Hank of the Life-boat Patrol Service and Jack Hawley were old friends. The Captain had been at the station near Jack's house for a number of seasons, and when Jack first met him he was such a little chap that the Captain called him "Shorty." Jack had grown, however, into a strong hearty lad, and his one ambition was to get into the life-boat service.
While they were talking one night in the station the sharp ring of the telephone bell made all hands glance up anxiously. Captain Hank strode over to the receiver.
"Hullo!—Yes, Captain Hank.—What is it? Tramp steamer ashore? Yes. How many men do you want? Hullo! Yes. Full relief? All right—send them immediately. Good-by.
"Boys, there's a tramp ashore at the lower station; want the full relief. Trot along, and get back as soon as you can. There's a nasty sea on to-night, and, with the wind right on shore, we might want you."