Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-10-21
THE PIGMY AFRICANS.
cURiosiriEs FRoM NEAR THE
SOURCE OF THE NILE.
Seldom More Than Four and Half Feet
Tall, but Feared by Surrounding Tribes
Because OF Their Bravery Physical
PeculiaritIss of Queer Race.

yeriiicatlons Of ancient stories which
have for many years until now been
regarded as fictitious and mythology
ical In the time OF Herodotus leg
ends abounded concerning the sources
of the Nile. That region was peopled
with all sorts OF extraordinary beings.
including race OF pigmy men 1t
has been customary to regard these
last as in the same category with the
phoenix and other fabulous monsters.
Mr. Stanley's remarkable explora-
tions during his march to the relief
OF Emin Pasha, however. not only
revealed for the first time the
sources Of the Nile and the noun
tains OF the moon, but proved the
actual existence. even at the present
day. OF exactly such miniature race
as was described By the ancient
Greeks. And now DIR. Stuhlman, who
was Emin Pasha's companion in the
latter's explorations about Victoria
Lake, has actually brought TO Europe
and is exhibiting in Berlin living
specimens Of that race.
These African pigmies arc de-
scribed as OF the negro type. al
though presenting some variations
ircm the form Of il most familiar TO
the Western world. Their size Is
that Of ordinary children OF about 10
years Of age. IL Is seldom that any
81 pure blood are found more than
four aud half feet tall. and the fact
that their huts are only four feet
three inches high indicates their
average stature, They are remark
ably agile in all their movements and
their senses OF smell, sight and hear
Ing are developed to an extraordlnar-
lis acute degree These facts, added
20 their indomitable courage, make
them formidable fighters, whether
against men or beasts. Their weap-
oRs ars chiefly bows and arrows. the
tips Of thu latter often being
poisoned They traverse the dense
equatorial forests ia troops from
score TO 1000, and are greatly
dreaded by all the surrounding tribes
During our second stay with
Chief MasambirI south az Albert
Lake. says DR. Stuhhnan, 1.-The
Mauicma made a slave raid in the
forest and brought back with them
two pigmies. a man and a woman
bound hand and foot They were
from tho forest northwest Of the Kis.
ka mountains We bought them and
another woman from Maniema They
soon became as cunfiding as their
natural shyness permitted. and went
with us to the Fast African coast
The man was little over four feet
six inches Ia height. and SO shy that
Il was hardly possible 10 get him 10
answer questions He could never
LOOK rs In the face, his eyes always
wandering rcstlessly about
Tho upper part Of the body is the
portion most fully developed; the
legs arc thin--those OF the women.
however rather less SO than those
Of the men. The feet arc thin and
slender; In walking the toes are not
turned outward. but inward. or at
least held straight The gait is
wavy and cautious. but not feeble.
The arms are we'll formed; the hands
remarkably small. with elegant.
rounded whitish nails In the whole
formation 81 their bones is seen
similarity with those OF our children.
The head Is roundish. though strong
lateral projections Of the forehead
ana the parietal bone cause Il 20
look square.
Tho forehead is high and vertical.
the eyebrows often strongly devel-
uped The nose Is Of the broad. flat.
negro type, and consequently the
inner angles OF the eyes are very
widely separated from each other.
The eyes are large and dark drown.
The formation Of the upper lip. which
stretches forward convcxly, is very
characteristics The lips are not very
thick, and the popularity noticed by
Emin IS clearly perceptible. viz, that
their mucous membrane is rose col
ored, while in the negroes IL is very
dark colored
Their hair Is woolly, and as soon
as IL grows more than an inch and
half long IL forms itself into little
lunches. The roots Of the hair do
not appear in groups; like the bristles
VI u NFMHus as ~ tnb Gtet Win many
negroes, but are pretty equally dis
posed over the skin Of the head, The
color OF tho hair is a brilliant black,
often with shade OF brown in it.
The beard grows chiefly on the upper
lip; on the chin Il IL quite feeble.
Tho color of the skin varies from
dark chocolate brown TO yellowish
brown. Many wrinkles are seen.
which seem. however, TO be conse-
quenco OF insufficient nourishment or
of old age. The women seem to be,
as a rule, few centimeters smaller
than the men.
The clothing of the men consists
only Of n narrow strip OF hast or In
ner bark from a species OF fig tree /
never saw among them the smallest
trace of ornamental dress or tattoo
ing Their only ornaments are small
holes in the upper lip, into which
thin grass stalks are stuck. Occa-