The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-09-06
The PIaMIB8 Of AFRICA.
'IanIey's Interesting Description
EThcir Es0ma s,sgd EBabits.

'Ahbi'S > hNhfF' N'ihE pHsCFtpstOn
Thetr ssome ,ssd EHabits.
These people are undcrsized nomads,
dwarEs or pigUiCs, VINO i've in the M
cleared virgin forest and support them-
selves on game, which they are veFv
Expert in catchipg. I boy vary in
=. ighi fnu three l,ct 10 four tcgt six
inches. 4 lu.i grown uduit may weigh
ninety pounds Tnpy plant their vii
Iagc CAMPS At distance Ot from two
t0 ihirc miles aruund "a tribe Of agri-
ruIjmraE aborigmags, thH Inajority of
whom are fine rialwaTi people. n
lprra c'rariuw NAV have as many rs
eight, ten or twelve separate commnni-
ties Of these little people settled around
,.rtn, numbering ia the aggregate
from ? 900 to , 800 souls With their
rrapui-, little bows and arrcws, The
prints Of whiGn are covered thckly
with poison. and spears, they kin cle-
pil,uj-. buffalo and antelope They
liz pits and cunniugIy cover them
WitI !iebt sticks and leaves, over which
they sprinkle earth 20 disguise from
the unsuspecfiug animals the danger
below. THcy bUiIG II shcd.liEe struc-
tuic, the root being suspended with a
vine, and spread nnts or ripe plantains
underneath to tempt chimpunzccs,
bIhOuns and other -imIHns " thin and
by Il sight movement ibe shed tails
aud the animals are captured. Along
the tracks oi clvcts, incuhitis, ichneu-
mons and rodents are bow traps fixed,
winch III the scurrY Of little animals
are snapped and stranglc them. Be-
>ides ,hr Ucni and hides 10 make
shi"ld-, and mrs auI iyofy OF the
slaughtered game, they catch birds TO
OBTAIN their feathers; tuey collect honey
from the woods, and make poison, all
ut which they scil TO tnr larger abOrigi-
necs Tor piautulns, potatoes, tobacco,
spears. knives and arrows The forest
would sJUu be denuded nf game If tho
pigmlcs confined themselves to the few
square miles around clearing They
are therefore compelled 10 move as
soon "a II becomes scarce to other set
Elements.
They perform other services 10 the
agricultural and larger class of aborigi-
nccs. They are perfect scouts aud
CInliiyr b. their better knowledge of
the nitric .cics Of The forest TO obtain
early intelligence of the coming of
strangers and 10 aCud information TO
their settled friends. they are thus
like voluntary picqucts guarding the
cleariugs and settlements. Every load
from any direction runs through their
camps. Their villages command every
crossway. Against any strong natives
disposed TO be aggressive they would
combine with their taller neighbors,
and they are by no means despicable
allies. When arrows are arrayed
against arrows, poison, against poison
and craft against craft, their great
malice would make formidable oppo-
nunts. This the agricultural natives
thoroughly understand. They would
no dcnbt wish on many occasions that
the little people would bctake Them
selves elsewhere, lpr The settlements
are frequently oUinumbCred by the
nOmad cOmmuu les For small and
often inadequate returns of fur and
meat, they must allow the pIgmies free
access to their plaulGins, groves and
gardens. In WorU, no nation on the
earth is free from hUman parasites, and
the tribes of the Central African forest
have much to bear from these little
fierce people who glue themselves 10
their clearlngs, il4ttrr them when we'll
fed, but Cypress them with their cXtor-
tons and rObbcries.
The pigmics arrange their q cllings
low structures of the shape of all oval
iigare cut lgu9thways; the doors are
from two tu three leet high, placed at
the ends-in il rough circle, the center
of which is lett clta for the residence
of the chief and his family and as a
common. About LOG yards in advance
of the camp, along every track leading
ont OF il, is placed the sentry house,
just large cnOugh for Two lille men,
with the doorway looking MP the track.
Ii we assume native iravans ever
| travel between lpoto and lbYirl, Tor
we should Imagine, from our know
| ledge OF these forest people, that the
caravan would be nulcled of much of
its property by these uOmads, whom
| they would meet in front and rear of
| each settlement. and as there are ten
settlements between the two points
they wuuld have to pay the toll twenty
times i'll tobacco, salt, iron, rattan cane
ornaments, axes, knives, spears, arrows,
AIDES, rings, etc. We therefore see
now utterly impossible il wonld be for
the iputu people 10 have even heard of
lbwirl. owing 10 the heavy turnpike
tolls and uCtrOi duties that would be
demanded OF them if they ventured to
undertake. long journey OF eighty
miles 1t will also be seen why there
is such diversity Of dialects, why
captlves were utterly ignorant OF settle
menls only twenty miles away from
them.
As have said, there are two species
OF these pigmics, utterly dissimllar in
complexion, conformation OF The head
ana facial characteristics. Whether
Buwa forms one nation aud Wanbutti
another We do not know ,bui they differ
"a much from each other as Turk
~"u.d from Scandinavian. The
Barwa have longish heads and long,
narrow faces, reddish, small eyes, set
close together, which gives them
somewhat tcrrety look, sour, anxious
and quaruiou9. The Wsmbutti have
round faces, gaelic like eyes,. set far
apart, open forcheads, which give ono
All impression OF undisguised fraukness,
and are OF rich yellow, ivory COM
p!cXiOn.