Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1897-02-25
FACE AaOuT EXTINCT
Dew Survivors Of the south African Bssh-
men Left.

One of the most interesting races In the
world, from an ethnolngist's point OF view,
Is on the point of extinction. For many
years past the bushmen OF South Africa
have been dwindling I'm numbers till the
survivors may almost he counted on one ;
fingers The bushman is first cousin to the
diminutiyc race OF pygmies found by the
great explorer Du Challu in the coastlands
of western Africa, near the equator, ana
closely resembles the dwarfs found 10y
Stanley in the great Aruwhimi forest. In
all probability they are the remnants OF
the aboriginal race of Africa which has
been driven into the corners of the African
earth by successive invasions Of Hottentot,
Bantu and negro tribes. Their existence
I'm Africa is mentioned rs far back as 1880
by Andrew Battell, one OF the earliest OF
Africa English explorers. He describes
them as "no bigger than boys OF IL years
old, but very thick, and they live only upon
flesh, which they kill in the woods WIN
their bows and their darts.
The bnshman 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 cheek
bones, his deep set eyes have an exceedingly
cunning look Bushmen are trogiodytes,
and remaining in their caves by DAY, sally
forth at night from their mountain iast
nesses and harass the nearest farmers by
Staying their stock with arrows composed
Of reeds tipped with bone or iron saturated
in the fatal juice of the euphorbla tree
mixed with the poison of snakes ana spi-
dcrs So troublesome did they become in
Natal during the early history OF the col
ony that special fort was built-now
known rs Fort Nottingham-whence ex-
petitions were organized against these
diminutiye marauders. sui later war
Of determination was waged against them
by n 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 Every
bushman fought for himself and they rec
ognized no chief, much less any primitive
system OF government such AS prevails
among the Bantu race.
1t Is a singular thing that, though so low
in the social scale, the bushman possesses
the power of illustration totally unknown
To his more civilized successors, and very
creditable representations Of Glands, dingos,
snakes, and even scenes of hunting and
battle are to he found in the caves of
Drakensberg, above the sources of the
Bushnan river Several of the drawings
have been removed To the library ut Pieter-
maritzburg, where they form IL valuable
collection for the colonial antiquary. The
bushman's language is mainly composed
of clicks, of which there are six distinct
kinds, but il is impossible on hearing one
of this ry2ny race talk to do otherwise
than set him down a. an animal. There is
local tradition in Natal that 1.-THE last Of
the bushmen' was "a farm laborer at one
of the homcsCcads under the Drakensberg
and, falling sick of fever, his end was de
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
in the South kensington museum
cago Chronicle.