The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-05-27
The Pigmy People Of Africa.
OF TAKKATlKAT-A PUZZLE FOR OAR.
WINIANS.

REPRESENTATIVES, FROM THE COUNTRY
OF TAKKATlKAT-AP PUZZLE FOR OAR
WINIANs.
The Khedive spoke of race of pig
mics which had been discovered in the
very heart of Central Africa, beyond
the land of the Nyam-Nyams, and adj
7ised us 10 look at two natives Of The
tribe which had recently reached Cal
70. On leaving the palace of Abdeen,
therefore, we near Boulak, where they
are now kept. On making inquiry the
soldiers In the inner court Immediate
~ pointed ont two small boys (appar
entIy). wearing the fez, and dressed in
jackets and trousers Of white wool. l
should have taken them for children
of some Ethiopian tribe at the first
glance, and was not satisfied, until at
ter close inspection, that one Of them
was full grown man.
The soldiers brought the pigmies for
ward for orr inspection. They came,
'alf willingly, half with an air of def
ance, or of protest against the superior
strength which surrounded them. A
tail Dinka from the White Nile, black
err than charcoal, who accompanied
them, spoke little additional Informal
ton through him. He assured me that
the pigmies were called Mann; that
their country was a journey Of a year
and half from Khartoom probably
the time occupied by trading expedi-
ton in going ti,ither and returning),
and that the place from which they
came had the name of Takkatikat.-
The taller of the two pigmies. Tubbul
by name, WAS 90 years old; the young
err, KarAl, only 10 or IL.
The little fellows looked at the with
bright, questioning, steady eyes while
| examined and measured them. Tub
bni was 46 inches in height, The legs
being % inches, and the body With the
head "a. Head and arms were quite
symmetrical, but the spine curved in
remarkably from the shoulders to the
hip joint, throwing ont the abdomen,
which was already much distended,
probably from their diet beans and ba.
nanas. Yet the head was erect, the
shoulders on the posture Of the body
as in the South African bushmen.
Tuhbnl measured &c around the breast
and % around the abdomen; his hands
and feet were coarsely formed, bnt not
large, only the knee joints dispropor-
tionately thick ard clumsy. The IA
cial angle was fully up to average;
there was a good development of brain,
fine intelligent eyes, and a nose so fat
tened that in looking down the fore
head from above one saw only the lips
projecting beyond it. The nostrils
were astonishinely vide and square;
the complexion was that of a dark mu.
lattn.
The boy Karal was ty-eight inch
cs high with the same general proper
tons. Both had wooly hair, cut short
in front, bit covering the crown with
Il circular cap of crisp little rolls
Tubhul's age showed Itself, on nearer
examination, III lila hands, feet aud
inints, as we'll ;is iiis face. He had no
beard, bnt :fas evidently of virile
vea,s. lifted lin from the ground,
and should not estimate bis weight at
more than sixty five pounds. The
soldiers related that neither of ths two
| lad learned more than few words of
Arabic, but hat they talked great
deal to each other in their own lah-
gnage. At a recent meeting of The
Egyptian Inst tnte it was stated that
the language of these pigmies has nc
resemblance to that of any other in
Central Africa.
The country of Mann or Takkatikat
or. whatever MAY be its correct name,
is reported to be an equatorial table
land covered with low, dense thickets,
in which the pigmes hide. The khe-
dive told me that they are quite war
like, and by no means despicable foes
to their larger negro find among Their
native ,jnngles Dr.. Sciweinf',rth sup
poses them to be the pigmies mention
ed by Herodotus. The Darwinians
will hardly find an intermediate race
between man and monkey in them
Their curious physical peculiarities
especially the curvature of the spine
the wide mouth, with fiat but distinct.
ly marked lips and the squareness and
breadth of the nostrils are not of q
simian character. In fact, they look
less like the chimpaneze than several
of the tail and athletic negro tribes
From Letter of Bayard Taylor's
in the Tribune.
SINGLE MEN OF GENIUS, BEAUTY
AND IMMENSE FORTUNE.-It is ratII.
er singular fact that so many Of the
editors of this city are living in state