Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-08-15
DWlARF'S ON THE NILE.
Curious Black Pigmies Who Inhabit
the Land of the Pharao obs.

DWarfS have furnished themes for
countless romances. They divide with
giants the interest Of a thousand nurs-
cry tales. To no small extent the do
main of superstition is invaded by
them. All countries more or less, but
Germany in partic ular, are infested by
gnomes and COLLINS, and Palmer Cox S
Brownies have not ceased to delight
grown people as well as children iii the
United States. But the man who
knew most about the real dwarfs was
NJ. de QuatrefageS, who died only a
few months ago. This eminent Scieh-
tific man devoted much Of his life to
a study of pigmies, as he called them,
and a posthumouS work on the subject
has just been published by D. Apple
ton & Co.
The ancients quite generally were
acquainted with the pigmies. Homer
speaks Of them, and they figure in
many Of the legends Of antiquity.
Aristotle described them as dwelling
in Africa toward the source of the
Nile, and it was il this very region
that a modern explorer, SchWeinfurth,
discovered a race Of dwarfs. Schwein-
furth found nc horses among the
dwarfs, but neighboring tribes had
cows and sheep Of such small size as
to be liliputian. Two pigmies We're
brought to Europe and adopted by
Count Miniscalchi, who brought them
up and educated them. They proved
intelligent and did quite we'll in their
studies
The pigmies Of Schweinfurth, whose
real existence has given rise to so
many fables, call themselves Akkas.
The territory occupied by them is of
considerable extent, in the neighbor-
hood of degrees north latitude and
% degrees east longitude. At the
time of the explorers visit they num-
bered nine distinct tribes. each having
its own chief. Schweinfurth passed
through the country of the Mann
Mans, and penetrated to that of the
MonbuttOS. 1t was at the court of a
native king named Munza that he dis
covered the dwarf race MunZa main
tanned little colony of the dwarfs
near his royal residence. At that
time the various tribes of Akkas had
submitted to Moummeri, one of
MunZa'S vaSsalS, who had come to rem
der homage to his sovereign at the
head of several hundred of his pigmies
Thus Schweinfurth had a good Oppor-
tunity for studying them. In exchange
for one Of his dogs he obtained from
Munza a young male Aka, who died
subsequently Of dysentery.
Most of the data gathered by
Schweinfurth were lost in fire. includ-
ing measurements and notes which
could not be replaced. Subsequent
travellers, however, encountered some
of the dwarfs. Munza, having learned
their value as objects of curiosity. gave
some Of them from time to time to
buyers Of ivory who visited him.
Thus an Individual of the race reached
khartoum. sent as a present to the
governor Of the Soudan by Emin Bey
An explorer named Mana, followed in
Schweinfurth's footsteps, finally ar
rived among the Monbuttos. SuccumD-
ing to the fatigues Of the journey. lie
died, bequeathing to the Geographical
society of Italy two young Akkas,
whom he got in exchange for a dog
and a calf. These dwarfs. Tebo and
Shaira1lah, We're the ones adopted by
Count MiniSCalchi.
After some weeks of wholesome diet
Tebo and Shairallah lost their big