Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1890-11-06
pycmy RACES.
Stsnl~y's wambetti, tho Uottentots -
Busi, men, and Early Britons.


Not the least interesting of the dis
coverics made by MIR. Stanley on his
latest expedition. says tho Gehtlema.'s
Magazine, is that Of the Wanbetti--
the dwarf tribe living between tho
Upper Aruhwimi aud the Nepoko. 1t
has long been n wcll-known fact that
the Pygmies OF Homer, uerodotus and
ktesias--those OF whom Pliny speaks
rs dwelling among the marshes
where the Nile rises'--are something
more than mere mythical beings; and
almost every exploration of any impor-
lance undertaken of late years has
thrown fresh light on the existence Of
primitive African race OF whom tho
Nambetti are in all probability ono OF
many Fragments. scattered through
central and southern Africa.
The tribes usually designated dwarfs
or pygmies are numerous, bearing a
marked resemblance To each other, and
showing marked difference from the
people among whom they are seat
tered. Their surest aud most peima-
nent characteristic is their hair, which
is woolly. but instead of being, as In
the negro, evenly distributed over tho
scalp. grows in small tufts. This
appearance. according to Prof. Vir-
chow. Is not due Ia the fact that tho
hair grows on some spots and not on
others, but to u pocuiarity in the text
ure OF the hair itself, which causes IL
to roll naturally into closely curled.
spiral locks. leaving tho intervening
pieces OF scalp bare.
Tho namo OF dwarfs. applied by
some to these people, has been objected
to rs imply ing dciormity or arrested
growth, aud therefore conveying
wrong impression. Nothing OF the
kind can DO said OF the African Pyg-
mics. who, though of short stature.
are well shaped people OF perfect nor
nal formation.
Tho section of the Pygmy race with
which Europeans have come most in
contact is The llottentots aud Bush
men. The former call themselves
| "khoi-khoi" llottcntots being merely
nickname given by early Dutch set
| tiers. who declared that tho natives
spoke an uuinlellgiblc language, con-
sistiug only OF sounds like hot and tot.
| That keen observer Mollatt. as long
ago rs tho first decade of this century.
noticed the distinct aud peculiar char
uctcristics of the ilotiontots. aud rec
ognized their racial identity with tho
| Bushmcn.
Surveying the Pygmy race as
whole, we find thcm--shorn OF the
mythical and magical glamor with
which distance aud mystery had iu-
vested them mot 81 very different.
after all. from other human beings,
but still sufficiently interesting. No
woll authenticated adult seems TO 10
much less than feet q inches; while
DIR. Pctermann thinks that tho Pyg-
mics, on the whole, run about head
shorter than the average negro.
can not attempt 10 deal with the
origin of the Pygmy race, or its rela-
tionship 10 tho Andamese and tho
Vcddahs Of Ccylon. who arc said to
have some characteristics in common
with the Pygmies. But ii seems clear
that they wcro once spread over u
! great part. II not the whole, OF tho
continent; that they were broken up aud
partially oxtcrminatcd by tho advent
of the stronger dark races; and that.
as race they are passing away. IL
is interesting TO look NJ an analogous
case in Europe. a race Uf small stat
urc. light frame aud comparatively
low type, scarcely, II NJ nil, advanced
beyond tho hunter stage, occupied tho
British islands and the northwestern
part OF the continent. They were
partly massacred or enslaved, partly
driven into the mountains, by their
Kettle couquerors; aud in tho lonely
rccessos of tho hills and woods---what
with their weakness aud their strength.
their cunning and their skill in metals,
their music and their underground
dwellings. and their uncanny wisdom
growth of legend and poetry sprang
up about them, till they no longer
known save ms elves, gnomcs, strollsor
Good People" whom ono dared not
mama