Omaha daily bee., 1874-05-13
BAYARD TAYLOR in EGYPT
Central African Pigmies.


(Baysrd TavlOr's Correspondence of the New
York TIibune-l
The Khedive spoke of a race of
pigmies which had been discovered
in the very heart of Central Africa,
beyon the land of Nyam-Nyams,
and advised us to look at two ma
tives of the tribe which had recent
liz reached Cairo. On leaving the
Palace of Abdeen, therefore, We
drove Immediately to the Palace of
the Nile, near Boulak, where they
are now kept. On making inquiry,
the soldiers i'm the inner court inn
mediately pointed out two small
boys apparently, wearing the fez,
and dressed i'm jackets and trousers
of white wool. / should have taken
them for children of some EthIo-
plan tribes at the first glance, and was
not satisfied, until after a close in
spection, that one of them was a
full grown man.
DIR. Schweinfurth saw some ma
tives 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
Eauator-probably from 300 to 500
miles west Of the central part of Al
bert Nyanza. But after Schwein-
furth's return the veteran italian
traveller Mana, whose name, carved
upon a tree near Fatiko, will be re-
membered by ali readers of
Speke's and Bakers mar
ratives, started on a 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 from Miami,
who died in a country called Mon
bootoo. These We're taken by the
Governor of KhartOum, and three
pigmies, 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 OH the way; the other
two reached here a few weeks ago.
They are the first of their rae which
have ever been e e outside of Cen
trail Africa. The Khedive, who
gave me these particulars, seemed
much interested in the people, and
probably intends to Use them, if
they survive, as a 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 defiance, or of protest against
the superior strength which sur
rounded them. A tall Dinka, from
the White Nile, bIacker
than charcoal, who accom-
panied them, was one of Miani's
men. He spoke a little Arabic,
and l was thus able to get a little
additional information through him.
He assured me that the pigmies !
were called Mann; that their coun-
try was a journey of year and a :
half from Khartoum probably the :
lime occupied by a trading eXpedi- ,
ion in going thither and returning), l
md that the place from which they :
anne had the name of Takatikat. .
The taller of the two pigmies, Tub !
'ul by name, was 20 years old; the .
Younger, Karal, only 10 or IL. q
The little fellow looked at me '
With bright, questioning, steady !,
yes, while L examined and y
measured them. Tubbul was 46 !
inches in height, the legs being % Y
inches, and the body with the head ,
a, which is a somewhat better pro- /,
than is usual in savage !.
RIDES. Head and arms were quite |,
ymetrical, but the spine curved in \
remarkably from the shoulders,to !.
he hipjOint, throwing out the >
lbdomen, which was already much I
listended, probably from their diet =
f beans and bananas. Yet the 7
lead was erect, the shoulders on =
he line of gravity, and there was y
o stoop in the posture of the body, :
) In the South African BUSH A
len. Tubbul measured 20 inches
round the breast and % around the
bdomen; his hands and feet were
oarsely formed, but not large, only
he knee.jOints being dispro-
thick and clumsy.
The facial angle was fully up to the
.verage; there was a good develop
nent of the brain, fine intelligent
yes, and a nose SO fiattened that
n looking down the forehead from
N saw only the lips pro-
behind it. The nostrils were
stonishingly wide and square; the
omplexion was that of a dark mu.
alto.
The boy karal was 43 inches high,
With the same general proportions.
'oth had wOolly hair, cut short in
ront, but covering the crown with
circular cap of crisp little rolls. as
'ubbul's age showed itself, on nearer
Examination, i'm his hands, feet and =
as well as his face. He had
o beard, but was evidently of virile
ears. lifted him from the ground 4
nd should not estimate his weight y
I more than 65 pounds. The sol
iers stated that neither of the two ,
lad learned more than a few words I
t Arabic, but that they talked a
reat deal to each other i'm their own r
inguage. However, when ordered 7
speak Tubbul turned and walked
way. A soldier seized and drew
i'm back, whereupon he stood still \,
nd sullen in his former place. At N
recent meeting of the Egyptian
institute it was stated that the Ian