The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-06-10
THE SMALLEST MEN.
CHARACTERISTICS AND ANTIQUITY
or AFRICAN PycMIcs.

gos Of wsst Africa.
The smallest race of mankind are the
pygmios OF Africa. They are probably, too,
the oldest. They exist ut the present time
scattered throughout the forests Of the
Loango coast and thence n0rthward be-
yoDd the equator. They haunt the forests
Of central Africa - the terrible fighters
that did 20 much damage to Stanley and
the Emin expedition. They lie hidden In
the southern fnstnesses Of Abyssinia. They
are the bushmcn who skulk a. wandering
hordes In 0riquaiand, Namaqualapd and
hsri desert. North Of the Kalahari they
dwell In the German possessions. Before
the Dutch colonization In 1860 they pos
sessed all the region from the cape TO the
ZApbext river and beyond
The antiquity Of the pygmies IL shown
by tho allusiops to them on ancient monu-
meDts and In literary works. There 10 o
figure Of pygmy on one Of the earliest Of
extant Egyptian monuments, dating prob
ably % far back a. 1000 or 5000 years.
BY his side n TO DO seen tho inscription
"Akka," the name still applied to one Of
the most numerous tribes of this race now
existing In central Africa. An Egyptian
inscription Of 5000 years ago records the
facts about an exploring expedition that
brought homo q Denga dwar, noted for
his dancing.
Du ChaiiIu's discovery In 1866 of pyg-
mics In the region Of the Ogowe river
(west Africa) made great stir I'm Europe
when the story first came out. Ono hun
dred and forty miles south Of the equator,
and to the east Of q southern tributary of
the Ogowe, Du Cbniilue In June, 1855,
suddenly struck In the savage forest on q
village OF wild dwarf negroes, called
Obongo. The village, whence on the ap-
proach Of Du Chaillu's party all the in
habitants had fed, consisted of cluster
Of extraordinary little huts, each Of low,
oval shape, like that of a gypsy tent,
about feet wide, and the highest part
about feet from tho ground. The buts
were each made of the flexible branches OF
trees, arcbed over and fixed into the
ground, tho whole covered with large
leaves. Inside these huts there were three
| or four sticks laid down at each end for
| the man and woman to sleep on, and in
| the middle of the Garth floor smoldercd
| the embers of fire.
A little farther to tho east Du Cbaillu
came on another village Of tho little folk.
| Not to alarm them, he made for their set
tlement on tiptoe, accompanied only by
| three Of his men and two guides. In a
retired nook Of the forest he counted IL
butts of the same slight make as In the
| case of those already described. Yet the
villagers had caught the alarm and every
| households was truly mot at home" En-
teripg unlimited, Du Chaillu found the
abodes very filthy, and the intrusive Wis
| itors were stung out of the place by
| swarms of heas. Another quarter Of a
mile through the forest they approached q
third village, and again with the utmost
caution, the Ashango guides, moreover,
dangling o bunch of beads before the eyes
Of the retreating Obongos. Their fears,
though, were not to be allayed; they
scampered of in a quaking hurry. But
Du Chaillu managed to surprise three old
women and one young man. One Of tho
three hags, touched by the beauty of the
beads he gave them and plucking up heart
Of grace, rated the runaway men, saying
they were as frightened az squirrels that
cried "Quei que!" and while 80 speaking
she twisted her body in such odd contor-
tions as to make our travellers party all
laugh outright. When, however, Du Chail-
lu proceeded to unroll his tape in order to
measure the bold shrew, her fears returned
TO her. The unwinding tape was a mys-
|
eyes on, and she trembled all over. Still,
by magic of presents and batteries, her
nerves gradually calmed, and she at last
let herself get tmeasured-4 feet ~ inches.
The young man stood feet inches.
In color the Obongos are of dirty yel-
low, lighter than the Ashango negroes
amid whom they dwell; their eyes look
restless and untamable Their foreheads
exceedingly low and narrow, cheekbon
raised; legs short in proportion to the
trunk; palms of the hands white. The hair
of the head grows In short, curly tufts, In
marked contrast to the bushy hair of the
neighboring negroes, who dress their hair
In mass Of plaits, q fashion impossible
to the Obongos. The young man had on
his legs and breast also an unusual growth
of hair, distributed likewise in short, curly
tufts All accounts witnessed to thick
tufts of hair growing on the legs and
breasts Of tho Obongo men. Their cloth
ing consists of pieces OF wornout cloth,
which they either buy or get from the
Ashangos. Such rags, by way Of cover to
their nakedness, and few bent sticks, by
way of house, constitute their whole de-
fense against the heavy rains and winds
and storms Of the year.
So shy In their intercourse with other
people, the Obongos arc yet brave hunters,
and very skillful In the use Of the bow and
poisoned arrows, as also In trapping wild
animals and catching fish, the surplus Of
which, fresh or dried, they barter with
their neighbors for plantains, iron imple-
ments, etc. Tho woods around their vii
lagos are planted thick with traps and pit
falls, In which they catch not only smaller
game, but also elephants, pythons, goril-
las. etc. Buried In the almost impenetra
ble forests between the Ogowe and the
Kongo, the Obongos shift their camp
whenever game begins to grow scarce.
Knowing nothing Of tillage or pasture,
they are people Of purest gentry that
from ages immenorial have never done a
hands turn Of work. unless only In noble
sport.-London Globe.
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