The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-07-16
The Pigmies.

During the journey from khartoum to
Mon butte, the Nubians who accompanied
Dr. Schweifurth never wear;ed of talking
of the Piymies men no more than three
feet high, with long boards reaching to
their knees-some even saying they had
seen the mythical people of Homer and
Herodotus. SO continually he heard these
stories that they became familiarized, and
he became impatient to See some of these
pathological specimens, doubtless keeps as
natural curiosities at the court of Munza
1t was some days before be was gratifed !;
a shouting was heard in camp; but the
Doctor shall tell his own story:
81 looked up, and there sure enough
was strange little creature perched on
Mohammed's right shoulder, nervously
hugging his head, and casting glances OF
alarm in every direction. Mohammed
soon deposited him in the seat of honor,
and at last was able to feast my eyes up
on the living embodiment of the myths of
some thousand years ago.
brbed the interpreter to pacify the little
man, to set him at his ease, and to induce
him to lay aside any fear of me that he
might entertain. Altogether he succeeded
so well that in a couple Of hours the Pig
my had been measured, sketche !, Toasted,
presented with a variety of gifts, and sub
jected to a minute catechism of searching
questions. His name was Adimokoo. He
was the head of small colony which
was located half league from the royal
residence. With his own lips heard him
assert that the name of the nation was
Aka, and further learnt that they in
habit large districts to the south of Mon
butto, between latitude 2 deg. and l deg.
north. A portion of them are subject to
the Monbutto King, who, DESTROYS Of en-
HANGING the splendor of his court by the
addition OF any available natural curiosi.
ties, had compelled several families OF the
Pigmies to settle in his vicinity"
Tired of being questioned, Adimokoo
made frantic leap to escape, but his cap
tors held him and finally persuaded him
to go through one Of his war dances. His
agility was marvellous. Homer's cranes
could scarcely contend against such an az
tive creature. His leaps and attitudes
were accompanied by such lively and gro
tesque expressions that the crowds shout
ed and held their sides with laughter. And
the interpreter explained that these Aka
are so nimble that they jump about in the
grass like grasshoppers, and shoot their ar.
rows into an elephants eye and drive their
lances into its belly. Not long after the
traveller had an encounter with several
hundred of these little people who formed
portion OF the army of King Munza's
brother, Mummerig. Going to his
quarters he was surprised by crowd of
what he thought impudent boys, who
pointed their arrows at him in bravado
fight, acting in manner generally too ia.
milir and without much respect to the
dignity OF a royal guest. The doctor was
by no means pleased, but anger gave way
to curiosity when the Niam-niam said to
him " They are Tikkitikki you imagine
they are boys, but they are men-nay,
men that can fight" These people, who
are in no sense dwarfs as the term goes
with US, are supposed, like the Bushmen
whom they resemble, to be branch Of an
aboriginal stock which extends along the
equator entirely across Africa They dit
fer from other races in being understood,
their average height being four feet seven
inches, and by redder and brighter com.
plexion. The hair aud beard are but
slightly developed. The head ia large and
balanced on a thin, weak neck; the arms
are lanky and proportionately long; the
chest is fiat and contracted, and from be.
hind the curve of the body is so regular
and defined it resembles the letter S. I'm
like other Africans, who ordinary walk
straight, the Aka turn their feet in, and
waddle SO they cannot carry full dish
without spilling. Their hands are really
elega lt,the fingers well formed and slender.
The head is remarkable. The most no.
ticeable thing is the projecting jaw, which
looks like snout. with lips long and con-
vex to match. The eyes are large, wide
open, and give them the bird-like look of
the Aztecs, while twitching eyebrows,
rapid gestures Of hands and feet, and in
cessant wagging of the head completes this
very grotesque appearance. As people
they are acute, cunning, dextrous and
skillful hunters.
The Guinea Fowl.