Chapter I: Front Matter

The World of the Great Forest

The
World of the Great Forest
_How Animals, Birds, Reptiles, Insects Talk, Think, Work, and Live_

By
Paul Du Chaillu

Author of “The Viking Age,” “The Land of the Long Night,” “Ivar the
Viking,” “The Land of the Midnight Sun,” “Explorations in Equatorial
Africa,” “Stories of the Gorilla Country,” “Wild Life under the
Equator,” “Lost in the Jungle,” “My Apingi Kingdom,” “The Country of the
Dwarfs,” etc., etc.

_WITH OVER FIFTY ILLUSTRATIONS_

BY

C. R. KNIGHT AND J. M. GLEESON

New York
Charles Scribner’s Sons
1900

_Copyright, 1900_
BY CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS

UNIVERSITY PRESS · JOHN WILSON AND SON · CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

_TO_

_CHARLES SCRIBNER AND ARTHUR H. SCRIBNER_

_DEAR FRIENDS,—Remembering the uniform courtesy and consideration it has been my good fortune to experience at your hands for a series of years, and recollecting the delightful relations that have always been reciprocal between us, and that have contributed so much to my happiness, I take infinite pleasure in dedicating this volume, “The World of the Great Forest,” to you both, as a slight evidence of the sincere esteem entertained by me, an author, for you, my publishers._

_PAUL DU CHAILLU._

Introduction

The World of the Great Central African Forest is a remarkable one. Its denizens range from the huge elephant to the smallest ant, and in its dark recesses and almost impenetrable jungle I have studied the life of these creatures.

From close observation and persistent study I have arrived at the conclusion that animals, birds, reptiles, ants, spiders, etc., possess great power of apprehension and prevision; that creatures of the same species have understanding with one another, either by voice, sign, or other ways unknown to man; otherwise they could not act with such harmony and deliberation.

It is not reasonable to say that animals do not converse because we do not understand or hear the sounds they make. The fault is ours, not theirs. Do we not always say, when we are learning a foreign language and begin to speak with the natives, that they talk so fast we cannot follow them? The articulation and the words seem to be blended together, and it is only after a time that we catch separate words.

Everything that lives is born with wonderful gifts suited to its mode of life. The shape and appearance of animals are designed to enable them to lead their special lives. Many have great power of scent, much keener than that of man. This particular attribute enables them to approach their prey and avoid danger. For example, the animal that preys upon others knows enough to move against the wind on his predatory expeditions. Those that feed on fruits and nuts know exactly at what season, in what month or week of the year, these are good to eat, and where they are to be found. They know how far distant is their feeding-ground, and the time needed to reach it. They all know their way, whether through the air or in the jungle, and nothing escapes their observation.

When animals or birds are taught to speak, or to do special tricks, it is clear that they must exercise memory, and memory means thought, and thought means reason.

The destruction of life, the battles that take place among the creatures of that great African Forest, the millions that are killed and eaten up every day, are beyond computation. Life, to sustain itself, must destroy life; such is the economy of nature. It is a struggle for existence among all. So the great gift given to every creature is knowledge of how to protect itself from its enemies, and how to approach its prey. If it were not for constant destruction, the animal world would increase so fast that there would be room and food left for none.

To enable the reader to enter into the life of the great African Forest, I have made the animals tell their own stories and explain their own actions as if they were endowed with the power of speech. And I have given to them native names. A number of the animals mentioned, I discovered myself.

PAUL DU CHAILLU.

AUGUST 15, 1900.

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE GUANIONIEN, OR GIANT EAGLE 1
II. THE GUANIONIENS’ DEPARTURE FOR THE LAND OF PLENTY 9
III. THE NGOZOS, OR GRAY PARROTS WITH RED TAILS 16
IV. THE NKEMAS, OR MONKEYS, TRAVEL TOWARD THE LAND OF PLENTY 30
V. ARRIVAL OF THE NGOZOS AND NKEMAS IN THE LAND OF PLENTY 43
VI. THE NIGHT ANIMALS 49
VII. THE NJEGO, OR LEOPARD 51
VIII. BIRTH OF THREE LITTLE NJEGOS 60
IX. THE BIG NJEGO BECOMES A MAN-EATER 65
X. THE HAKOS, OR ANTS 73
XI. THE NCHELLELAYS, OR WHITE ANTS 75
XII. THE GIANT NCHELLELAYS 86
XIII. THE NGOMBAS, OR PORCUPINES 91
XIV. THE IPI, OR GIANT ANT-EATER 97
XV. THE NGOMBA, OR PORCUPINE—THE IZOMBA, OR TURTLE—THE IPI,
OR ANT-EATER 101
XVI. THE NGOOBOO, OR HIPPOPOTAMUS 106
XVII. A FIGHT FOR MISS NGOOBOO 116
XVIII. THE FIVE APES, OR MEN OF THE WOODS 120
XIX. THE NGINAS, OR GORILLAS, AND NJOKOOS, OR ELEPHANTS 124
XX. THE NGINAS TRAVEL TO A PLANTAIN FIELD; THEIR STRANGE
ADVENTURES 134
XXI. THE NJOKOOS, OR ELEPHANTS, TRAVEL TO THE PLANTAIN FIELD 139
XXII. ARRIVAL OF THE HUMAN BEINGS WHO OWN THE PLANTAIN FIELD 143
XXIII. THE THREE NGINAS KILLED BY HUNTERS 145
XXIV. THE OMEMBAS, OR SNAKES 156
XXV. A HUGE OMBAMA, OR PYTHON 158
XXVI. THE NTOTO, OR ICHNEUMON 165
XXVII. THE IBOBOTI, OR SPIDER 170
XXVIII. THE TRAP-DOOR IBOBOTI, OR BURROW SPIDER 176
XXIX. THE HOUSE IBOBOTI, OR NIGHT SPIDER 184
XXX. THE NYOI, OR WASP, AND THE IBOBOTI 188
XXXI. THE TWO NKENGOS, OR PALE-FACED APES 191
XXXII. A BABY NKENGO IS BORN TO THE OLD NKENGOS 204
XXXIII. THE NGANDOS, OR CROCODILES 210
XXXIV. THE OGATA, OR BURROW CROCODILE 216
XXXV. THE KAMBIS, OR ANTELOPES, THE NCHERIS, OR GAZELLES, AND
THE BONGO 220
XXXVI. THE OSHINGI, OR CIVET 224
XXXVII. THE INSECTS, APILIBISHES, OR BUTTERFLIES, AND OSELIS, OR
LIZARDS 235
XXXVIII. THE NJOKOOS, OR ELEPHANTS 238
XXXIX. ADVENTURES OF THE NEW NJOKOOS 244
XL. EVIL DAYS FOR THE NJOKOOS 251
XLI. NJOKOOS AND THEIR BABIES 256
XLII. THE MBOYOS, OR JACKALS 263
XLIII. THE NSHIEYS, OR FISH, AND THEIR ENEMIES 268
XLIV. THE KONGOO, ONE OF THE FISHING EAGLES 272
XLV. THE BASHIKOUAY ANTS 284
XLVI. THE DARKENING OF THE DAY 291
XLVII. THE NTUNGOOLOOYA, OR KINGFISHER 293
XLVIII. THE OBONGOS, OR DWARFS 297
XLIX. ADVENTURES OF A NKENGO AND A NSHIEGO 309
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
GLOSSARY OF NATIVE ANIMAL-NAMES 323

List of Full-Page Illustrations

“Here I am, dear, waiting for you” _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE “Here is a huge manga” 39 “He watched her” 66 “How they enjoyed their sea bath” 115 “Then ensued a terrible fight” 117 “He gave him a terrible bite” 136 “He attacked him, imbedding his teeth firmly in the back of his neck” 166 “All the others fled in terror and disappeared in the Great Forest” 214 “A pack of ugly-looking striped hyenas” 266 “The kongoo, using all his strength with his wings, gave several flaps” 280 “The poor njokoo fled for his life” 288

The World of the Great Forest