Page:In brightest Africa.djvu/258

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spine. Like all of the others he displayed no signs of aggressiveness. He was intent only on getting away. He had not made a single sound at any time.

As he lay at the base of the tree, it took all one's scientific ardour to keep from feeling like a murderer. He was a magnificent creature with the face of an amiable giant who would do no harm except perhaps in self-defence or in defense of his friends.

From twenty feet above him on the slope where we settled down with our kit to make pictures, notes, and studies, we had a view of Mikeno and the surrounding country which I then thought, and still remember, as the most beautiful view I have ever seen; and I believe my companions, one and all, quite agree with me. The motion-picture camera was directly behind us up the slope where we had deserted it. It was sent for and a panorama was made from over the body of the dead gorilla. Mikeno was at her best; she had thrown aside her veil of cloud; her whole summit was sharply outlined against the blue of the tropical sky. The warm greens and browns of the moss-covered cliffs suggested a drapery of lovely oriental weave. From the summit well down the wonderful line of the western slope the eye was arrested by old Nyamlagira smouldering lazily and sending her column of smoke and steam to join the hovering cloudbank above—then on again the eye swept over a scene of marvellous opalescent colour in which were dimly seen distant mountain ranges; suggestions of shimmering lakes, and mysterious forests—then around to Chaninagongo, looming dark