Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1874-06-13
TINE PlGSY PEOPLE OF AFRICA.
Representatives from the Country Of
Takkatikat-a Puzzle for the Dar-
winlans.

aiulIuJ.
lFrom Letter of IayAr,l TaJior's In the New
York Triblac.
The khediye spose ol q race OF pig
mics which had been discovered In the
very heart OF Central Africa beyond
the land OF tho Nyam-Nysms. and ad-
yl.ed W to look at two na,iscs OF the
tribe which had recently reached Cairo.
On leaving the palace OF Abdeen,
therefore, we drove Immediately to
thu palace OF the Nile, near Boulak,
where they are now kept. On making
inquiry the soldiers In the inner court
Immediately poluted out two small
boys lapparentlyl, wearing the fez,and
dressed la jackets and trowsers OF
white wool. | should have TAKEN
them for children OF some Ethiopian
tribe at the first glance, aud was not
satisfied, until after a close Inspection,
that one of them was u iull-srowb
man.
The soldiers brought forward the
plgmies for our Inspection. They
came. hsli.willingly, half with an air
Of defsGc-. ar st protest against the
superior strcn.th which surrounded
them. A tall Dinka from the White
Nile, biackcr than charcoal, who ae-
conipanied them, spoke little
Arabic, aud was thus able To get a
little additional information through
him. lie assured the that the plsmles
were called Nam; tina; their country
was n Journey Of year aud half
from khartoum probably the time oc-
cupied BY a trading expedition IN 20.
Ing thithcr and returuingl, and that
the place from which they came had
tho name OF Takkatikat. The taller
Of the two pismies, rubbul by name,
was twenty years old the younger,
karsl, enly ten or twelve.
Tho little fellows looked at mo with
bright, questioning, steady eyes while
examined and measured tnOm. Tub
hui was 10 inches Ia hight, the legs
being - Inches, and the body with the
head "a. Head and arms were quite
symmetrical. but the spine curved In
remarkably ffom the shoulders to the
hip Joint, throwing out the abdomen,
which was already much distcnded.
probably from their diet Of beans aud
bananas. Yct the head was erect, ths
shoulders on the line Of gravity, aud
there was no sto-p In the posture OF
the body "a IN the south African bush
men. Tubbul measured ~ Inches
around the breast and y around the
abdomen; hi, hands aud feet are
eoarsOly formed, but not large, only
the knee Joints being dl.proportion-
ately thick and clumsy. The facial
angle was fully up to the average hut
there was ~ iull development Of the
braln. fine Intelligent eyes, aud nose
so flatienel that In looking down the
forehead from above one only saw the
lip, projectln. beyond IL. The nos
trils we're asionishingly wide aud
square. the complexion was that OF u
dark mulatto.
The boy Karal was Is 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. Tub
bul's age showed itself, on nearer
examination, In his hands, feet and
Joints, "a we'll as his face. lie had no
beard, but was evidently OF ylrile
wears. lifted him from the ground,
aud should not estimate hi. weight at
more than GJ pounds. The soldiers
narrated that neither OF the two had
learned more than few words Of
Arabic, but that they talked great
deal to each other In their own Ian
guaee. At q reccut meeting OF the
Eyyptian Institute 1t was stated that
the language Of these pigmles has no
rssemblanc. 10 that OF any other In
Central Africa.
This country of Mann, or Takkati'
kat, or whatever may DO Its correct
name, Is reported 20 be an cquitorial
table land. covered with low, dense
thickets. la which the plgmles hide.
The .Kledive told mo that they are
quite warlike, aud BY no means des'
picable foes 20 their larger negro
neIchbor., since they are active aud
difficult TO ind among their native
junyles. Dr. Schwsiniurth supFoses
them 70 bs the pigmles mentioned by
IIerolotus. The Darwinians will
hardly iind sn intermediate race be-
tween msn aud monkey la them. Their
curious physical peculiarities, espe-
eIally the curvature Of the spine. the
wide mouth, with fiat bun distinctly
marked lips. and the slnareness and
breadth OF the nostrils are not OF
simian character. Ia fact, they look
less like the chlmpanzee than several
OF the tall, athletic negro tribes.