The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-05-21
NEGRO LILIPUTIANS.
Bayard Tnyior's Description of the Pig
niles of Mann, Equatorial Africa
wnrlilSc Little Men.
Cairo Letter to the n. Y. Tribune.

The Khedive spoke of a race OF pig
mics which had been discovered in the
very heart of Central Africa, beyond
the land of the NyamNyams, and ad.
yised 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 conrt immedl-
ately pointed out two small boys (appa-
rently), wearing the fez, and dressed III
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 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 hes
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 Schwcin-
furth's return, the veteran Itolian tray
eler Miami, whose name, carved upon II
tree near Fatiko, will be remembered
by all readers of Speke's and Bakers
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 n country cal ed
Monbootoo. These were taken by the
oovernor of Khartoum, and three pig
mics, who were supposed to be slaves,
were temporarily imprisoned. When
the intelligence reached Cairo, the Khe-
dive ordered Miani's papers and collcc'
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 n medium of future intercourse with
their tribe.
The soldiers brought the pigmies
forward for our inspection. They came
half willingly, half with an 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 Mianis men. He spoke n
little Arabic, and was thus able to get
a little additional information through
) him. He assured me that the pigmies
we're called Mann that their country
was Journey of year and n half from
) Khartoum (probably the time occupied
by a trading expedition in going thither
l and returning), and that the place from
n which they came had the name of TAX
@ katikat. The taller Of the two pigmics,
g Tubbul by name, was twenty years old
!, the Younger, Karal, only ten or twelve
l. The little fellows looked at me will
:. bright, questioning, steady eyes, while
S T examined and measured them, Tub
:, bnl was AG inches in hight, the legs be
ing % inches, and the body with thu
d head a, which is a somewhat bette
If prOportion than is usual in sayag'
!, tribes. Head and arms were quite sym
is metrical, but tho spine curved in re
ID markably from the shoulders to TIN
ID hip.ioint, throwing ont the abdomen
at which was already much dlstended
lg probably from their diet OF beans AM
n bananas. Yet the head was erect, til
ir shoulders on line of gravity, and ther
g. was no stoop in the posture of the body
ne as in the South African bushmen. TuI
es bul meaured 36 inches around th
I'd breast ane % around the abdomen; hi
m hands and feet were coarsely formed
m but not large, only the knee joints bein
mt disproportionately thick and clums,
el The facial angle was fully mp to I'll
n average there was good developmei
mi Of brain. fine intelligent eyes, and
ed nose so hattened that, in looking COW
nv the forehead from above, one saw on
ito the lips projecting beyond it. The no
ed trils were astonshingly wide al
nm square; the complexion was that OF
nd dark mulatto,
I'VE The boy Karal was 43 inches hig
with the same general proportion
lf Both had woolly hair, cut short in frol
'ba but covering the crown with circul
nv nv can of crisp little rolls. Tubbul's az
mo NO showed itself on nearer examination,
.ho his hands, feet and joints, as well
ors his fac. He had no beard, but W
~ ~ evidently of virile years. lifted hi
from the ground, and should not es
49,. mate his weight at more than 65pounl
GUY ont The soldiers stated that neither OF t
asV two had learned moro than few wor
'ol of Arabic, but that they talked gre
vas deal to each other in their own ID
hel guage. However, when ordered
'ho sneak Tubbul turned and walked awi
A soldier seized and drew him bac
nen whereupon he stood still and sullen
ore his former place. At recent meeti
Who of the Egyptian Institute it was stat
the that the language of these pigmies
lful no resemblance to that of any other
TED Central Africa.
did The country of Mann, or Takki
ON, kat, or whatever may be its corr
giri name, is reported to be an equator
and table-land covered with low, de
ass. thickets, in which the pigmies hi
his The Khedive told me that they
ling quite warlike, and by no means dcE
and cable foes to their larger negro nei
Tor bors, since they are active as apes
ling difficult to find among their native j
wed giles. DIR. Sehweinfurth supposes I'll
d. to be the pigmies mentioned by Her
lat otus The Darwinians will liar
reat find an intermediate race between |
ting and monkey in them. Their curl
her physical pecuiiaritcs, especially
the curvature of the spine, the wide mo
Is of with fiat but distinctly marked lips
wei, the squareness and breadth of the
Q out trils are not of a simian character.
ured fact, they look less like the chiml
zee than several of the tall and athl
lsper negro tribes.
be- When was on the White Nile
outh, 1852. the Nyam-Nyams were spoke
with by the people as a frightful race OF
pibals, with tails. No one had
cen them the very name was te