like its meat, which, they say, makes a delicious soup. I have never tasted it.

When, as here, I am hunting regularly, I get up at five in the morning. Monguilomba then makes me a strong cup of coffee, which is served by Makondai. This drunk, I start for the bush and hunt until ten, which is my breakfast-hour. After breakfast I stuff the birds shot in the morning, and rest till three. Then out again into the bush till six, which is sunset and dark here, when I get back and find my dinner ready, with Makondai to wait on me. After dinner bird-stuffing goes on again, till all the prizes of the day are secure. That done, I go among the people and hear them talk until it is time to go to sleep.

This is the average day. Of course, when we go out on great hunts, all orderly arrangements are broken up; and I have often to sit up half or all the night to prepare my prizes, which will not keep till next day in this hot climate.

Venomous Flies.-Gorilla.-Cutting Ebony.-The Ebony-tree.-Anguilai's Town. - Superstitions. - Severe Sickness. — Kindness of the native Women to me. -Child murdered for Sorcery.-New Cure for Sterility.-Ivory-eaters.-Manioc. -Capture a young Nshiego Mbouve.-Its Grief for its Mother.-Biography of Nshiego Tommy.-Easily tamed. — His Tricks.-Habits.-Love for Wine and Scotch Ale.-His Death.-Curious Color.-Famine.-Njani Oil.-Gorilla.-Evidence of their vast Strength.-Guaniony.-Return to Obindji's.-Letters and Papers from home.-Astonishment of the Negroes at my Reading.-The Ofoubou River. Starvation.-Njalie-Coody.-The Njambai Festival.-Woman's Rights among the Bakalai.—A midnight Festival.-A Mystery.-An Attempt at Blackmail.-Nature of the Njambai, or Guardian Spirit.-Hunter killed by Gorilla.Native Superstitions.-The Dry Season.-Gouamba.-The Eloway Fly.-Huge Serpents.-Enormous Gorilla killed.-Curious Superstition about the Gorilla and a pregnant Woman.—Animals peculiar to this Region.—Generosity of the Blacks. -The Superstition of Roondah.-Return.

ON Tuesday, the 20th of April, we set out for one of our great hunts, going up the river a short distance and then striking into the forests. We found many open spots in these woods, where the soil was sandy, and the grass was not very luxuriant, growing not more than two feet high. The sun is very oppressive in these clear spots.

We were troubled, too, on the prairie by two very savage flies, called by the negroes the boco and the nchouna. These insects attacked us with a terrible persistency which left us no peace. They were very quiet blood-suckers, and I never knew of their attacks till I felt the itch which follows the bite when the fly has left it. This is again followed by a little painful swelling.

The next day we were out after gorillas, which we knew were to be found hereabouts by the presence of a pulpy pear-shaped fruit, the tondo, of which this animal is very fond. I also am very fond of the subdued and grateful acid of this fruit, which the negroes eat as well as the gorilla. It is curious that that which grows in the sandy soil of the prairie is not fit to eat.

We found every where gorilla-marks, and so recent that we began to think the animals must be avoiding us. This was the case, I think, though I am not sure. At any rate we beat the bush for two hours before, at last, we found the game. Suddenly

X

an immense gorilla advanced out of the wood straight toward us, and gave vent as he came up to a terrible howl of rage—as much as to say, "I am tired of being pursued, and will face you."

It was a lone male-the kind who are always most ferocious; and this fellow made the woods ring with his roar, which is really an awful sound, resembling very much the rolling and muttering of distant thunder.

He was about twenty yards off when we first saw him. We at once gathered together, and I was about to take aim and bring him down where he stood, when Malaouen stopped me, saying, in a whisper, "Not time yet."

We stood therefore in silence, guns in hand. The gorilla looked at us for a minute or so out of his evil, gray eyes, then beat his breast with his gigantic arms, gave another howl of defiance, and advanced upon us.

Again he stopped, now not more than fifteen yards away. Still Malaouen said, "Not yet."

Then again an advance upon us. Now he was not twelve yards off. I could see plainly the ferocious face of the monstrous ape. It was working with rage; his huge teeth were ground against each other so that we could hear the sound; the skin of the forehead was moved rapidly back and forth, and gave a truly devilish expression to the hideous face; once more he gave out a roar which seemed to shake the woods like thunder, and, looking us in the eyes and beating his breast, advanced again. This time he came within eight yards of us before he stopped. My breath was coming short with excitement as I watched the huge beast. Malaouen said only "Steady," as he came up.

When he stopped, Malaouen said, "Now." And before he could utter the roar for which he was opening his mouth, three musket balls were in his body. He fell dead almost without a struggle.

"Don't fire too soon. If you do not kill him he will kill you,' said Malaouen to me-a piece of advice which I found afterward was too literally true.

It was a huge old beast indeed. Its height was 5 feet 6 inches. Its arms had a spread of 7 feet 2 inches. Its huge brawny chest measured 50 inches around. The big toe or thumb of its foot measured 54 inches in circumference. Its arm seemed only immense bunches of muscle, and its legs and claw-like feet were

so well fitted for grabbing and holding, that I could see how easy it was for the negroes to believe that this animal conceals itself in trees, and pulls up with its foot any living thing, leopard, ox, or man, that passes beneath. There is no doubt the gorilla can do this, but that he does I do not believe. They are ferocious, mischievous, but not carnivorous.

The face of this gorilla was intensely black. The vast chest, which proved his great power, was bare, and covered with a parchment-like skin. Its body was covered with gray hair. Though there are sufficient points of diversity between this animal and man, I never kill one without having a sickening realization of the horrid human likeness of the beast. This was particularly the case to-day, when the animal approached us in its fierce way, walking on its hind legs, and facing us as few animals dare face man.

On the 27th April Quengueza and I, with about twenty slaves and some hunters, started up river for the ebony country, where the king wished to cut wood, while I should hunt. All the forests up here are full of precious woods. Ebony is found in greatest plenty at the top of the hills which line, at some distance, the river-course. Bar-wood is found every where, and in great abundance. The natives have not yet cut much of it, and there is enough here for a brisk trade for years. The India-rubber-vine is found on all hands; and when a regular trade is once established, this will be one of the great staples of the river. There are also many other varieties of hard woods, some pink, some chestnut, some yellow in color, and all susceptible of a high polish, many of which would no doubt have a commercial value were this region opened to white trade.

As we were to stay a month, the king took some of his wives with him. We pulled up the river against the strong current as before; and I learned that the country where we killed the gorilla is called Kanga-Niaré.

The ebony-tree is not found on low ground, or near the river. It is met with all along the ridges and hills which run here north and south. It is one of the finest and most graceful trees of the African forest. Its leaves are long, sharp-pointed, dark-green, and hang in clusters, producing a grateful shade. Its bark is smooth, and of a dark green. The trunk rises straight and clean to a considerable height-often fifty or sixty feet; then large

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THE EBONY OF COMMERCE.

heavy branches are sent out. I have seen one of these trees which had a diameter of five feet at the base. The mature ebony-tree is always found hollow, and even its branches are hollow. Next the bark is a white "sap-wood," which is not valuable. This, in an average tree, is three or four inches thick, and next to this lies the ebony of commerce. The young trees are white or sappy to the centre; and even when they attain a diameter of nearly two feet the black part is streaked with white. Trees less than three feet in diameter are not cut down.

EBONY LEAVES: MALE AND FEMALE (HALF THE NATURAL SIZE).

The ebony-tree is found intermixed with others in the forest. Generally three or four trees stand together, and none others within a little distance. Thus the cutters move through the woods constantly seeking trees.

We were bound to the town of a chief named Anguilai, whom I had met at Obindji's town. The place was called N'calai-Boumba, and was a considerable town, though very lately built. We were nearly all day on our journey. On the way we passed several villages, the largest of which, Npopo, I afterward visited. The river-banks all the way up are densely wooded, but very sparsely inhabited by the animal creation. We saw but one monkey and a few birds the whole day.

Two hours before reaching this point we had been drenched by a severe rain-storm. Great, therefore, was our surprise, when, having climbed over the trees which had been cut down in front of the town, and which lay there a very formidable barrier to any one's approach, we found the street dry; and the people were as much surprised at seeing us wet. We had only happened under a rain-cloud.