The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-15
RACE ABOUT EXTINCT.
Few Survivors OF the South Africsu Bush.
men Left.

One Of the most interesting races In the
world, from an ethnologist's point of view
is on the point of extinction. For many
years past the bushmen of South Africs
have been dwindling in numbers till tn,
survivors may almost be counted on ones
fingers. The bushman Is first cousin to tn,
diminutive race of pygmies found by tn,
great explorer Du Chaillu in the coastlandi
OF western Africa, near the equator, and
closely resembles the dwarfs found BY
Stanley in the great Aruwhimi forest. Ir
all probability they are the remnants O.
the aboriginal race Of Africa which hat
been driven into the corners of the Africas
earth by successive invasions of Hottentot
Bantu and negro tribes. Their existenc,
in Africa 10 mentioned as far back as 1854
by Andrew Battell. one of the earliest o.
Africa's English explorers He describe.
them az mo bigger than boys Of 10 year,
old. but very thick, and they live only upon
flesh, which they kill in the woods with
their bows and their darts"
The bushman is one of the lowest types
OF humanity, not many degrees removed
from the animal He Is of small stature
but not dwarfed, and, with high cheel
bones, his deep set eyes have an exceedingly
and, remaining in their caves by day, sally
forth at night from their mountain fast
nesses and harass the nearest farmers b,
slaying their stock with arrows composee
of reeds tipped with bone or iron saturated
In the fatal juice OF the euphorbia ire,
mixed with the poison OF snakes and spi
ders So troublesome did they become IL
Natal during the early history Of the col
- a.
known ss Fort Neutrality-suspicious. ex
petitions were organized against thes,
diminutive marauders. Still later a wal
Of determination was waged against then
by band Of farmers under the Drakens
berg, who raided their haunts In the wild
mountains and succeeded In freeing them
selves from this troublesome pest Ever,
bushman fought for himself, and they REQ
ognized no chief, much less any primitiv,
system Of government such a. prevail'
among the Bantu race.
II is . singular thing that, though 80 low
In the social scale, the bushman poseesses
the power OF illustration totally unknown
to his more civilized successors, and very
creditable representations Of Glands ,dingos
snnkes, and even scenes of hunting ant
battle are 30 be found In the caves Of
Drakensberg, above the sources OF ths
Bushman river Several Of the drawings
have been removed 10 the library at Pieter
maritzburg. where they form valuable
collection for the colonial antiquary Tn,
bushman's language is mainly composed
OF clicks, Of which there are six Distinct
kinds. but it is impossible on hearing ons
of this pygmy race talk to do otherwise
than set him down as an animal. There 10
local tradition In Natal that 1.-THE last OF
the bushmen' was farm laborer at ons
OF the homesteads under the Drakensberg
and, falling sick Of fever, his end was do
voutly looked for by local scientist, who
on the desired contamination, obtained
his bones and forwarded them TO England
where they are now exposed to public gaze
10 the south kensington museum. Chi
csgo Chronicle.