HAND-TO-HAND FIGHT

Evening Star, Issue 20059, 27 December 1928, Page 11

HAND-TO-HAND FIGHT

TAKING A, GORILLA ALIVE The following narrative is taken from ‘Gorilla: Tracking and Capturing the Ape-man ®f Africa,’ in which Mr lien Burbridge recounts his thrilling experiences while hunting and 'photographing big game, and describes the dangers accompanying his endeavours to lilm and capture gorillas in the Congo:— Of my four trips to Africa two were directed to the Congo, where by various tricks and devices 1 captured eight young gorillas. Although, despite the excitement for those engaged, my descriptions of these adventures might strike the reader as monotonous, still the capture of Bula Matadi (Great Master), as ho was named by the natives, must bo given place. Bula Matadi was a young male gorilla who weighed 12Glb and the largest specimen recorded as over having been captured alive. To capture a 201 b gorilla is a goodsized undertaking for a strong man. One weighing 1201 b is an impossible antagonist for a 'man of 1851 b. It was at these catch-weights we fought. Had this one been muzzled and handcuffed perhaps the battle would have been more nearly equal, and he would not have all but captured me. A moment of contact with those powerful arms and I knew 1 had.grabbed a .andful. Whether by accident or instinct of gorilla-capturing, I clutched his throat and hung on with desperation born of the knowledge that I was battling for my life-- The din of snarls and the thrashing of underbrush as we rolled over ami over aroused my men to rush to my assistance. Twice 1 tore out of the gorilla’s teeth add 'eft a pait of my clothing as a peace offering. Again and again I broke from clutches that dragged my head and throat dcw:p ard toward his open jaws. My gun j)oy, racing through the jungle ahead of them all, Hung himself .nto the flay.’ One after another piled on top of the young gorilla, who fought with the jury of a madman as ho heaved .and backed under, the weight of his enemies, refusing to accept defeat until spread-

cagled and his hands and feet tied. While I lay gasping for breath my men finally got him in a sack, and as this ripped from his attempts to escape two more were slipped over him and tied. In these lie lay packed, breathing heavily, through the loose-meshed fibre and looking like a huge sausage. At length 1 arose and took eioclt of my surroundings. For 15ft in a circle the grasses and young trees were beaten flat in the struggle that had taken place.” One side of my limiting shirt, with shoulder and sleeve, was missin, Both hands were mangled, one thumb broken and crushed; but my wounds seemed slight when I thought of what might have happened. Grimly 1 remembered that 1 had bitten the gorilla’s fingers when they were in my month. My men were little better off than I; their naked,bodies bad suileicd sadly. . .. . As I looked at our prize struggling futilely in the sacks 1 wl.s reminded of a friend who once fought with an epileptic in a crowded Hero. “ U was heroic to have held him as you did,” I told him afterward, “Hold him!” he almost yelled, “ 1 couldn’t get. away from him. This scorned fo lit my position exactly. But Bula Matadi was our prisoner, and the Batwa wK; had witnessed the battle from a safe distance joined us with 'caution, ibcir popeyed gaze sweeping the t.hfounts lor the possible return of the gorilla hand.