Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-01-23

covered the Upper Congo and after
ward explored the county. He found
this dwarf raca In different places. aud
In his more recent expeditions from the
Congo to the Albert Nyansl he often
came across small groups Of them scat.
tered In the dense forests on the Upper
hruwimi and more 10 the east Oh the
Scllki rver These, II would seem, ARE
less harmless aud peaceful than their
congeners elsewhere; they attack with
poisoned darts the caravans that seek
to pass those well nigh inaccessible
s0litudes. Possibly the Patia In the
S0mauli country, who are 10 bo found
between the Gala and Somauli tribes,
should here be- noticed as belonging to
tue same dwariish race.
Thus, then, we see that q primitive
people. characterized 10y "a stature be-
low the average medium height, are TO
lie found scattered over the continent
" Equatorial Africa, ~ well from the
west coast to SOmhuli land ~ Ia the
east aud from the regions south " Lake
rchad down TO the southern con.
iluonces Of the Congo. They are mo-
where found IN n coherent body or M.
tion, with fixed places Of residence aud
commanded by chief. They form
small groups Ia the inidst OF, or iu CLOSE
proximity to, morv powerful or more
Intelligent negro triUes, who regard
them ~ little better than slaves. They
are allowed 10 liv. ON condition that
| they hunt deer IN the bush auu fish Ia
the river for their masters, Or MI the
elephant, whOsc ivory they are forbid.
| den "a sell. They are said 10y all
travellers ~ be expert hunters, though
they have no iirearms; their only wca.
| pOnr are bows aud arrows aud spears.
Wild animals are ais, caught by them
In nets, corfal- aud pitfalls. They ar,
exceedingly clever IN the arts AMI
devices that nppcftslu more especially
TO primitive atid uncultivated races.
and show great iotliluIe In wrestling
with the natural difficulties offered in
a avid country like their own, 10y boil,
man and beast.
A. 20 the average stature attained 10y
these people there IL much discrepancy
In the notes furnished ~ those WIN
have seen them. The Avts Afforded
on the subject hy travellers are far from
concordant. Perhaps tue hest e1timau
hitherto given Is that Of old Herodo,us,
who SAYS NJ them that they are below
"the medium hright.n
III. no easy task to obtain exact data
They ATE exceedingly shy aud tlmld
and Ia order 10 make observations
had T. catch them NJ best | could
hunting them down llku Wild AMI
NAL Once caught, however, they
soon became tIaetablr. especially whet
they see they are IN the hands " I
white man aud not In those Of a slav,
dealer; few presents IN the shaIs' %
bends, cloth, of--whEt II s,lll NOR,
precious on the western coast-sqlt, will
make them sufficiently friendly &
allow Of yard measure being apple,
10 their prrsons. They are might!
glad, however, when the operation I
over, aud run away most nlmbly. tn
smallest man Of Ripe years ever cam
across among the hboug1s stlod ! fee
2 inches from the grUuuu. Stanley slS
one not feet high; another I fcri
Inches, and grown up girl " abou
II years Of age who was half an incl
short OF three feet. The latter ma.
have been an exception, though tn
women are propor,ionatcly smaller tina
the men.
I From personal observation aud fIot
what have read on the subject NJ
! led 10 Infer that the height 81 thcs
. pygmios averages between four f.,
) three inches ana four feet eight Inch,
for full grown man, anu botwec
: three feet three inches and four 70,
one inch tor the women. This ccriaiul
: constitutes race OF smaller statui
/ than that 10 be found In most oth'
r countries, but the term "dwarw while
| Is applied 10 them appears incorrcc
=. Ethnology furnishes examples Of man
: n tribe aud nation whose stature do,
not much exceed that which Il hei
| attributed To the so-called pygmlc
! This will be- made clear by comparin
. the figures have Just giren with ia
( following list furnished by anthrop'
: logical research: