Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1874-05-14
The Race of piemies-
From Bayard Taylor's Correspondenoe
n, Y. Tribune.

: OF the tribe which had recent
} reached Cairo. On leaving the Pa
ace of Abdeen, therefore, we droy
Immediately to the Palace of til
Nile, near Boulak, where they al
now kept. On making inquiry, til
soldiers in the inner court immediate
ly pointed out two small boys (apps
rently,) J wearing the fez, and dresse,
IN jackets and trowsers of white wool
l should have taken them for childre,
OF some Ethiopian tribesat the FRS
SSdlfanGGe Sdfa aud was not satisfied. until af
them was full grown man.
DR.. Schweinfurth saw some native:
of the tribe among the Nyam-Nyams
but did not reach their country, which
lies beyond that of the latter, and
therefore, south of the EquatOr-prob-
ably from 300 to 500 miles west OF
the central part of Albert Nyanza.
But after Schweinfurth's return the
veteran Italian traveller Miami, whose
name, carved upon tree near Fatiko,
will be remembered by all readers of
Speke's and Bakers narratives, start
ed on 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 country called Mon
bOOtOo. These were taken by the
Governor of Khartoum, and three pig
mics, who were supposed to be slaves,
were temporarily imprisoned. When
the intelligence reached Cairo the
Khedive ordered Miani's papers and
collections to be given to the Italian
Consul, and the pigmies to be sent to
him. One of them, a woman, died on
the way; the other two reached here
few weeks ago. They are the first
of their race which have ever been
outside of Central Africa. The Khe-
dive, who gave me these particulars,
seemed much interested in the peO-
pie, and probably intends to use them,
if they survive, as a medium of fu-
ture intercourse 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 able to get little addition
al information through him. He as
sured me that the pigmies were called
Mann; that their country was a jour
ney of year and half from Khar-
tOum probably the time occupied by
a trading expedition in going thither
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 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 them.
Tubbul was As inches in height, the
legs being % inches, and the body
with the head "a, which is some
what better proportion than is usual
in savage tribes. Head and arms
were quite symmetrical, but the spine
curved in remarkably from the shoul-
ders to the hip joint, throwing out
the abdomen, which was already much
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 is in the
South African bushmen. Tubbul
26 inches around the breast
and % around the abdomen; his
hands and feet we're eOarsely formed,
but not large, only the knee joints
being disprOpOrtionately thick and
clumsy. The facial angle was fully |
up to the average; there was a good |
development of brain, fine intelligent |
eyes, and Il nose so flattened that, in |
looking down the forehead from
above, one saw only the lips project
ng beyond it. The nostrils were as
wide and square; the
was that of Il dark mu
alto.
The boy Karal was 43 inches high,
with the same general proportions.
Both had wOOlly hair, cut short in
'ront, but covering the crown with
circular cap of crisp little rolls. Tub
)uPs age showed itself, on nearer ex-
il his hands,, feet and
oints, as well as his face. He had
10 beard, but was evidently of virile
ears. lifted him from the ground,
md should not estimate his weight at
more than 65 pounds. The soldiers
tated that neither of the two had
earned more than a few words of
Arabic, but that they talked a great
leal to each other in their oEn Ian
,uage. However, when ordered to
peak, Tubbul turned and walked
way. A soldier seized and drew him
Jack, whereupon he stood still and
ullen in his former place. At re-
ent meeting of the Egyptian Insti-
ute it was stated that the language
# these pigmies has no resemblance
O that of any other in Central Africa.
The country of Mann, or Takkati-
at. or whatever may be its correct
ame, is reported to be an equatorial ]
able land covered with low, dense I
hickets, in which the pigmies hide. {
he Khedive told me that they are I
ute warlike, and by no means despi- I
able foes to their larger negro neigh
ors, since they are as active as apes.
nd difficult to find among their ma
We jungles. DR.. Schweinfurth sup
oses them to be the pigmies mention :
d by HerOdotus. The Darwinians :
ill hardly find an intermediate race :
etween man and monkey in them.
heir curious physical peculiarities,
soll 18th kAn Al