Weekly Trinity journal., 1870-05-21

A Race of Pignies.

Beyond the extensive wilderness which bounds
Caffa on the south are the Doko, pigmy and
perfectly wild race, not exceeding four feet in
height, of dark olive complexion, and in hab-
its even more approximated to the I" beasts that
perish " than the bushmen of Southern Africa
They have neither idols, nor temples, nor sacred
trees, but possess a glimmering idea of Su-
preme Being, to whom in misfortune, such as
any of their relatives being stained by the kid
napper-they pray, standing on their heads,
with the feet resting against tree: Here, if
indeed thou art, why dost thou suffer us to be
killed. We are only eating ants, and ask ne-
ther food nor raiment. Thou hast raised us up.
Why dost thou cast us down?' Many natives
of Calfa aud Enarea, who have visited these pig
mics in their native wilds, for evil, describe the
road from the former kingdom to pass through
forests and mountains, for the most part unin-
habited, and swarming with wild beasts, ele-
plants and buflaloes especially. From Bonga,
distant about fifty or sixty miles, it is ten days
journey to Tultee, the ONO river being crossed
midway by II rude wooden bridge sixty yards in
breadth. Seven easy stages beyond Tuiitce is
| Kooloo, whence the Doko country may be
reached in one day. The climate is warm and
the seasons extremely wet, the rains commence
ing in May, and continuing without the slightest
intermisson until February. The country in
habited by the Doko is clothed with dense for
est of bamboo, In the depths of which the people
construct their rude wgwams of bent canes and
grass. They have no king, no law, no arts, no
arms possess neither hocks nor herds are not
hunters, do not cultivate the soil, hut subsis:
entirely upon fruits, roots, mice, serpents, rep
tiles ants and honey-both of which last they
lick, like the bear from off their arms and hands
They beguile serpents by whistling, and, hav-
ing torn them piecemeal with their long nails,
devour them raw; but although the forests
abound in elephants, buffaloes, lions and leop-
| ards they have no means of entrapping them.
| A lorUa traa callad locn is fnnnI nv
other species, attaining an extraordinary hight,
| the roots of which, when scraped, are red, and
serve for food The yebo and meytee are the
principal fruits, and to obtain these, women, as
well as men, ascend the trees like monkeys and
in their quarrels and scrambles not unfrequently
throw each other down from the branches.
Both sexes go perfectly naked and have thick
pouting lips, diminutve eyes and fiat noses
The hair is not woolly, and in the female reaches
to the shoulders. The men have no beard
The nails, never pared, grow, both on hands
and feet, like eagles talons, and are employed
in digging for ants. The people are ignorant of
the use of fire. They perforate the ears in in
fancy with pointed bamboo, so as to leave
nothing save the external cartilage, but they
neither tattoo nor pierce the nose and the only
ornament used is necklace composed of the
spinal process of serpent. Prolific, and breed
ing like wild beasts, the redundant population
forms the wealth of the dealer in human flesh.
Great enuhl sluVe-nuHtS are unueTthkeu from
Dumbaro, Caffa and Koooo and the dense for
ests of bamboo, the creaking of which is repre-
sented to be loud and incssant, often prove the
scene of fierce and bloody struggles between
rival tribes. Wide tracts have been encircled,
the band of rovers, couverging, impel the deni-
zens to the centre. Holding gay cloth before
their persons, they dance and sing in peculiar
manner and the defenseless pigmies, aware
from sad experience that all who attempt to es-
cape will be ruthlessy hunted down, and per-
haps slain, tamely approach and suffer them
selves to be blindfolded. One hundred mer-
chants can thus kdnap thousand Dokos and, J,
although long prone to their habits OF digging
for ants, and searching for mice, serpents, or
lizards, the captives rarely attempt to escape.
Their docility and usefulness, added to very
limited wants, rendering them in high demand
none are ever sold out of the countries border
ing on the Gochob, and none, therefore, find
their way TO Shoa.