The Republican. [volume] (Maryville, Tenn.) 187?-187?, 1874-05-30
NEGRO LILIPUTIANS.
BHyard Taylor's Description OF the Pig
mics Of Mann, Equatorial Africa
warlike Little Men.
Cliro Lslter 10 the v. Y. Trlbun.

mics which had been discovered In the
very heart of Central Africa, beyond
the land of the Nyam-Nyams, and ad
vised us to look at two natives of the
tribe which had recently reached Cairo.
On leaving the palace OF Aberdeen,
therefore, we drove Immediately to the
palace of the Nile, near Boulak, where
they are now kept. On making inquiry
the soldiers in the inner court immedi-
ately pointed out two small boys (appa-
rently), wearing the fez, and dressed in
jackets and trowsers of white wool. !
should have taken them for children of
some Ethiopian tribe at tho first glance,
and was not satisfied, until after close
inspection, that one of them was full
grown man.
DIR. Schweinfurth saw some natives OF
the tribe among the Nyam-Nyams but
did not reach their country, which lies
beyond that of the latter, and therefore
south of the equator-probably from
300 to 500 miles west OF the central part
of Albert Nyanza. But after Schwein-
furth's return, the veteran Italian trav-
eler Miami. whose name, carved upon a
tree near Fatiko, will be remembered
by all readers of Speke's and Baker S
narratives, started on new journey OF
exploration from which he was destined
never to return. On the 9Th of Novem-
ber last, some boats reached Khartoum
with the journals and collections of
Miami, who died in country cal cd
Monbootoo. These were taken by the
governor of Khartoum, and three pig
mics, who were supposed to be slaves,
we're temporarily imprisoned. When
the intelligence reached Cairo, the Khe-
dive ordered Miani's papers and collec.
tions to be given to the italian consul
and the pigmies to be sent to him. One
of them, woman, died on the way ;
the other two reached here few weeks
ago. They were the first of their race
which had ever been seen outside of
central Africa. The Khedive, who gave
me these particulars, seemed much in
terested in the people, and probably
intends to use them, if they survive,
as medium of future intercourse with
their tribe.
The soldiers brought the pigmies
forward for our inspection. They came
half willingly, half with au air of def.
ance, or OF protest against the superior
strength which surrounded them. A
tall Dinka, from the White Nile, blacker
than charcoal, who accompanied them,
was one of Miani's men. He spoke
little Arabic, and was thus able to get
little additional information through
him. He assured me that the pigmies
we're called Mann that their country
was a journey of year and half from
Khartoum (probably the time occupied
by a trading expedition in going thither
and returning), and that the place from
which they came had the name of TAX
katikat. The taller of the two pigmies,
Tubbul by name, was twenty years old;
the younger, Karal, only ten or twelve.
The little fellows looked at me with
bright, questioning, steady eyes, while
/ examined and measured them. Tub
bul was 46 inches in hight, the ' gs be-
ing % inches, and the body with the
head "a, which is somewhat better
proportion than is usual in savage
tribes. Head and arms were quite SYM
metrical, but the spine curved in re-
markably from the shoulders to the
hip-ioint, throwing out the abdomen,
which was already much distended,
probably from their diet of beans and
bananas. Yet the head was erect, the
shoulders on line of gravity. and there
was no stoop in the posture of the body,
as in the South African bushmen. Tub
bul meaured 36 inches around the
breast ane 28 around the abdomen; his
hands and feet were coarsely formed,
but not large, only the knee joints being
disproportionately thick and clumsy.
The facial angle was fully mp to the
average there was a good development
of brain, fine intelligent eyes, and
nose so flattened that, in looking down
the forehead from above, one saw only
the lips projecting beyond it. The nos
trils were astonishingly wide and
square; the complexion was that of a
dark mulatto,
The boy Karal was 43 inches high,
with the same general proportions.
Both had woolly hair, cut short in front,
but covering the crown with circular
cap of crisp little rolls. Tubbul's age,
showed itself on nearer examination, in
his hands, feet and joints, as we'll rs
his fac. BE had no beard, but was
evidently of virilo years I lifted him
from the ground, and should not esti-
mate his weight ut more than 65pounds.
The soldiers stated that neither of the
two had learned moro than few words
of Arabic, but that they talked a great
deal to each other in their own Ian
guage. However, when ordered to
speak Tubbul turned and walked awav.
A soldier seized aud drew him back
whereupon he stood still and sullen in
his former place. At recent meeting
of the Egyptian Institute it was stated
that the language of these pigmies has
no resemblance to that of any other in
Central Africa.
The country of Mann, or Takkati
kat. or whatever may be its correct
name, is reported to be an equatorial
table-land covered with low, dense
thickets, in which the pigmies hide.
The Khedive told me that they are
quite warlike, and by no means despi-
cable foes to their larger negro neigh.
bors, since they are active rs apes aud
difficult to find among their native Jun
giles. DIR. Sehweinfurth supposes them
to be the pigmies mentioned by Herod-
otus. The Drwinians will hardly
find au intermediate race between man
and monkey in them. Their curious
physical pecuIiarities, especially the
curvature of the spine, the wide mouth
with fiat but distinctly marked lips and
the souarepess and breadth of the nos
trils are not of siman character. To
fact, they look less like the chimpan-
zee than several Of the tall and athletic
: negro tribes.
When ! was on the. White Nile, in
1852, the Nyam-Ny yamSs were spoken of
Ixstbe people.aS.assyightful race of can
rMSHs, with faiIs, No one had ever