The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1874-05-09
THE PIGMIES.
Description Of the Little
Fellows.
lNTERESTlN LETTER
FROM BAYARD TAY-
fCairo Letter TO the n. Y, Tribune. j

The Khedive spoke Of race of pig
mics which had been discovered in the
very heart Of Central Africa, beyond
the line 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 Abdeen.
therefore, We Immediately drove to the
Palace Of the Nile, near Boulak, where
they are now kept. On making in.
quiry, the soldiers Immediately pointed
out two small boys (appareutly), wear.
ing the iez, and dressed in trousers
and jackets of white wool. should
have taken them for children of some
Ethiopian tribe, and was not satisfied,
until after close inspection, that one
Of them was full grown.man.
DR.. Schweiniurth saw some natives
of the tribe among the Nyam- Nyams,
bu, did not reach their country, which
lies beyond that of the latter, and
therefore south of the equator-prob.
ably 800 to 800 miles west of the GEN.
trail part of Albert Nyanza. But af-
ter Schweinfurth return, the veteran
Italian traveller, Miami, whose name,
carved upon tree near Fatiko, will be
remembered by all readers of Speko's
and Bakers narratives, started on a
new journey Of exploration from which
he was destined never to return. On
the 9th of November last, some boats
reached Khartoum with the Journals
and collections of Miami, who died in q
country called Monbootoo. These
were taken by the governor Of khar-
.oum, and three pigmies, supposed to
be slaves, were temporarily imprisoned.
When the intelligence reached Cairo,
the Khcdive ordered that the papers
and collections be given to the Italian
consul and that the pigmies be sent to
him. One Of them, u woman, died on
the way the other two reached Cairo
about few weeks ago. They are the
| first of their race which have ever been
outside Of Central Africa. The Killed.
i've, who gave me these particulars,
seemed much interested in the people,
and probably intends to use them, if
they survive, as a medium of future in
tercoursc with their tribe.
The soldiers brought the pigmies
forward for our inspection. They
came, half willingly, half with an air
of defiance, or Of protest against the
, superior strength which surrounded
them. A tall Dinka, from the " hite
Nile, blackcr than charcoal, who &C.
companied them, was one Of Miani's
5 men. He spoke little Arabic, and
t was thus enabled to gain little add
. tional information through him. HI
assured me that the pigmies were Gale,
Naom; that their country was jour
ney Of a year and half from Khar
toum (probably the time occupied by
b trading expedition in going thithel
and returning) and that the place from
which they had came had the name o.
o Takkatikat. The taller of the two
r pigmies, Tubbul by name, was twenty
q years old |; the younger, Karal, only
ten or twelve.
u The little fellows looked at me with
e bright, steady, questioning eyes, while
!. ] examined and measured them. Tub
q bull was Al inches in hight, the legs
being % inches, and the body with the
head "a, which is a somewhat better
proportion than is usual among savage
tribes. Head and arms were quite
symmetrical, but the spine curved in
remarkably from the shoulders to the
hip-joint, throwing out their abdomen,
Q which was already much distended
: probably from their diet Of beans and
bananas. Yet the head was erect, the
shoulders on the line of gravity, and
J. there was no stoop in the posture of
). the body, as in the South African
g bushmen. Tubbul measured &c inches
laround the breast and 2S around the
abdomen his hands and feet were
coarsely formed, but not large, only
Of the knee joints being disproportiatety
thick and clumsy. The facial angle
was fully up to the average there
was good development of brain, fine,
intelligent eyes, and a nose SO fattened
Il that, in looking down the forehead
l. from above one saw only the lips pro-
n jecting beyond it. The nostrils we're
It astonishingly wide and square; the
complexion was that of dark mu-
latto.
The boy Karal was 43 inches high,
u with the same general proportions.
+ Both mad woolly hair, cut short in
y front, but covering the crown with a
. circular cap of crisp little rolls. Tub
bulls age showed itself, ON nearer ex.
animation, in his hands, feet, and joints
as we'll as his face, He had no beard
but was evidently of virile years. !
e lifted him from the ground, and should
@ not estimate his weight at more than
50 years. The soldiers stated tina,
neither of the two had learned more
i than few words Of Arabic, but tina,
r they talked a great deal to each other
VI in their own language. However
when ordered to speak, Tubbul turned
and walked away. A soldier seized
and drew him back, whereupon he
stood still and sullen in his formc,
o place. At recent meeting Of the
I" Egyption institute it was stated that
p the language Of these pigmies has
# no resemblance to that OF any other in
= Ceatral Africa.
rha country of Mann or IA k,,;l.,