The times., 1899-10-01
QUEER GIANTS OF AFRICA
A Race the Sight of Which Drives
Men Insane.
Steries Of the WaIaaaos Living in
Their Wonderful Power of Hyp-
notism-An Explorers Experiences
From the London spectator.l


The latest story from Africa is very odd
story indeed, so odd TO be worth mo-
ment's serious discussion. 1t is told by
Captain Wellby who has been exploring
the unknown country between Lake Ru-
dolf and the Nile Valley, and who, besides
being one of the pluckest of men, seems
TO be competent observer with some sci
entific knowledge and a habit of mental
exactitude. There appears to be no rea-
son whatever for doubling his good faith,
and we can ourselves help little TO ex-
onerate him from any charge OF undue
credulity or disposition TO wonder He says
he found two races of naked giants living
near Lake Rudolf. The world now doubts
about giants as formerly it doubted about
pigmies, and Captain Weilby will be cross
examined; but tribes obviously the same
were minutely described by DR.. Verne,
German doctor who accompanied d pacha
sent by Said Pacha of Egypt some fifty
years ago to see if he could not exact trib-
ute of some sort from the extreme south of
the Egyptian dominion. Mr.. John Murray
published in two small volumes a transla-
ton of his singularly lucid and interesting
narrative, and in il he gives an account,
apparently identical with Captain Wellby's.
of race of naked men who were on an
average seven feet high.
AS individuals reach that height even in
England, and are common in Patagonia
we can believe that story without Difficult
ty; but the account of the Walamo district
is a more severe draft on our credulity.
1t is probably true nevertheless, though
the explanation is not easy. The natives
about Lake Rudolf believe that the people
of Walamo are possessed of the devil and
Captain Wellby is obviously not quite sure
that they are not. Their land is singular
ly and exceptionally beautiful, grand
tropical park, in fact, well waterei and
weIl timbered, "a fortnight's journey
south OF Ads Abeba, and the p.op.e are
quite friendly to white men. Tney are ac-
cused, however. of possessing a gift. moth
ing less than the power Of creating, by
suggestion only, insanity in those upon
whom they gaze. Captain Wellby of
course disbelieved this story, but he was
soon undeceived. Il only state the facts.
The first sign of anything wrong was when
one of my Somali escort rushed into camp
shouting Waiamoi Walamo!' He was
frightfully excited, he shook violent Y, AMI
kicked like a madman, and in the inter-
walls between his shrieks he told me that he
was possessed by a devil. The whole OF
that night he was neither more nor less
than maniac, but the next day he was
perfectly well. / had been previously tod
that once man had become .Walamo, or
second attack, and as simple measure of
precaution the mans rife was taken away
from him While on the march he had
another attack of this curious madness, in
the course of which he drew a knife and,
rushing about, threatened to kill every
body. 1t took several men TO hold him
down" 1t is supposed 10 be spec.a ly dan
gerous TO eat food in the presence Of the
Walamo people, and on one occasion a
IN, 4 1sbn hes
came a raving lunatic, while on another
headman. peacea bic, orderly man, de-
clared that he had become possessed raved
and kicked, and at last injured three men.
In all cases the fit seems TO last for TWO or
three days, but is liable to recur
Pondering all these facts Captain Wellby.
like an Englishman with steady nerves and
the fine spirit of curiosity which keeps
us blundering about in all upexplored re-
gions, resolved on a supreme experiment.
He solemnly ate his dinner in the presence
of hundred Walamo. Nothing happened
at the moment, but two days after, the ex-
plorer, one OF those men who are never i'll,
was SO thoroughly ill''-he does not say
| insane-that he had some difficulty in hid
ing the fact from his own people.
Now, how was that done? To say 1t did
not occur seems to US mere rejection for
no reason of trustworthy evidence If Cap
| tain Wellby said he found gold or diamonds
in Walamo, thousands upon thousands OF
pounds would instantly be ventured in the
search for them; and why should he then
be distrusted when he says that certain
men under certain circumstances shovel
symptoms of insanity?
There are we think Just three hypoth-
eses which are worth discussion. One is
that the Walamo in the interest OF their
special reputation, bribed or frightened
| Captain Wellby's men into acting the symp-
| toms which he describes. That is possible
and is doubtless the explanation of many
| apparent wonders of the kind; but in this
instance il would seem to be barred by Cap
tain Wellby's own experience. He had
nothing to gain by trick, and his nerves
were clearly not of the kind which are up
set by rumors OF magical powers possessed
| by black persons without clothes.
Another hypothesis much more likely
| is that the Walamo are possessed of a
poisonous drug, akin to that used by many
| tribes for poisoning arrows, which shat
| ters the nerves of those who have swal-
lowed it. That such drugs existed was a
universal belief among the ancients and
there is no prima facie reason why they
| should not. as many substances now used
| in medicine. Tower tone" and depress the
spirits of those who swallow them to a de-
| toms of pronounced melancholia. The con-
| stitution of negroes is not Identical With
| ours, or they would not eat clay, and their
| superior liability to the action of the drug
as compared with Captain Wellby is not
matter for surprise. The white man
| may not be stronger than the black but
he has far better nervous system. But
how, in that case, was the drug admins
tered? We should say in water some
hours after food had been eaten in Wala-
mo presence, or through the agency of
some unnoticed prick in sleep with a poi
soned thorn. A medicine man" with a
reputation to keep up in his tribe and for
his tribe would be quite capable of an
| adroit trick of that kind, especially If he
performed it. as on the hypothesis seems
probable, with hereditary ingenuity.
The third conceivable explanation is that
the men of Walamo have by some accident
learned that if they seriously set them
selves in combination TO willing that ef-
feet they can hypnotic a victim or serious
ly shatter his nerves. The interval which
seems always to have elapsed between the
occasion OF the evil effect and the evil
effect itself is perpleXity. but otherwise
we doubt If DR.. Charcot and his assistants
would consider the phenomena exceptional
ly wonderful There are good many in
cidents recorded of many persons end
countries which, if one viii cannot affect
the bodily frame OF another person, are
simply unintelligible Or rather one mind
may so affect another mind without af-
| fecting the body as to produce a belief in
| disease as operative as disease itself. Cap
| tain Wellbys men all believed they were
possessed. and consequently behaved as
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