The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-05-21
SMALL SPECIMENS.
More About the Central African Pigmies
interviewed by GuIIiver Bayard Taylor!

more ADouG the central African P1gmleS
Interviewed by GuIliver Bayard TaylOrl
Bayard Taylor writes from Cairo to
the Neac York Tribune: The Khe-
dive spoke of race of pigmies whicn
had been discovered in the very heart
of central Africa. beyond the land of
the Nyam-Nyams, aud advised US to
look at two natives of the which had
recend reached Cairo. On leaving the
palace of Abdeen, therefore, we drove
Immediately to the Palace of the Nile
near B0nlak, where they are now
kept. On making inquiry, the SOL
diers of the inner court Immediately
pointed out two small boys, (appar-
ently) wearing the fez, and dressed in
jackets and trowsers OF white wool.
[ should have taken them for children
of some Ethiopian tribe at the first
glance, and was not satisfied, until af-
ter close inspection, that one OF
them was full grown man.
DR.. Schweinfurth saw some natives
of the tribe among the Nyam-Nyams,
but did not reach their country, which
is beyond that of the latter, and there
fore south of the equator-probably
300 to 500 miles west of the central
part of Albert -Nyanza. But afier
Schweinfnrth's return, the veteran
Italian traveller, Miami, whose name,
carved upon a tree near Fatiko, will
be remembered by all readers of
Speke's and Bakers narratives, started
on another Journey of exploration,
from which he was destined never to
return. On the 9th of November last
some boats left Khartoum with the
Journals and collections of Miami, who
died in country called Monbootoo.
These were taken by the governor of
Khartoum, and three pigmies, who are
supposed to be slaves, were tempora-
rily imprisoned. When the intelli-
gence reashed Cairo, the Khedive or
dered Miani's papers and collections
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 a few
weeks ago. They are the first of their
race that have ever been seen outside
of central Africa. The KhedIve, who
gave me these particulars seemed very
much interested in the people, and
probably intends to use them ii they
survive, as a medium of future inter
course 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 White
Nile, blacker than charcoal, who ac-
companied them, was one of Miani's
men. He spoke little Arabic, and
was thus enabled to get little addi-
tional information through him. He
assured me that the pigmies were
called Mann that their country was
a journey of year and a half from
Khartoum (probably the time occu-
pied by a trading expedition in going
thither and returningl, and that the
place from whence they came had the
name of Takkatikat. The taller of
the two pigmies, ToubbuI by name.
was 20 years old the younger, Karal,
only 10 or II.
The little fellows looked at me with
bright, questioning, steady eyes, while
examined and measured ii en-. Tub
bul was 46 inches in height, the legs
being p inches, and the body with
the head, q, which is somewhat better
preportioned than is usual in savage
tribes. Heads and arms are quite
symmetrical, but the spine curved in
remarkably from the shoul ders to the
hip joints, 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 the line of gravity, and
there was no stoop in the posture of
the body, as in the South African
bushmen. Tubbul measured 26 inches
= =, -
abdomen; his hands and feet were
coarsely formed, but not large, only
the knee-joints being disproportion-
ately thick and clumsy. The facial
angle fully up to the average; there
was good development of brain, fine
intelligent eyes, and a nose so flatten-
ed that in looking down the forehead
from above, one saw only the lips pro-
jecting beyond it. The nostrils were
astonishingly wide and square; the
complexion was that of dark mulat-
to.
The boy Karal was % inches high,
with the same general proportions.
Both had woolly hair, cut short i'm
front, but covering the crown with
circular cap of crisp little rolls. Tub
bulls age showed itself on nearer ex-
animation, in his hands. feet and joints,
as well as his face, He had no beard,
but was evidently of verile years. l
lifted him from the ground and should
not estimate his weight at more than
So pounds. The soldiers stated that
neither of the two had learned more
than few words of Arabic, but that
they talked a great deal to each other
in their own language. However,
when ordered to speak, Tubbul turned
and walked away. A soldier seized
and brought him back, whereupon he
stood still and sullen in his former
place. At a recent meeting of the
E0vntian inatituta II vuas ofa1ad that