Evening star., 1900-08-18
IN PYGNYLAND.
A Meeting Between n Chief of the
Little People and n missionary.
From the Pail Mall Gazette

A Meeting Between n Chief of the
Little People and n missionary.
From the Pail Mall Gazette.
An interesting account of the pygmies
Of central Africa is given by A. B. Lloyd,
one of the church society's missionaries
in his book "In Dwarf Land and Cannibal
Country" His first interview with them
took place in a clearing of the forest.
While reading book he became aware of
a number of little faces peering at him
through the thicket. He held out his hands
in sign of friendly greeting Slowly and
very shyly a pygmy advanced, stared at
the white man in amazement and hid his
face behind his hands. Other pygmies ad-
vanced behind their leader. 1 now De
says had complete view of my visitoA,
and what struck me first of all was, naA
urally, the shortness Of their stature. But,
although they were so very short-about
four feet by subsequent measurement-yet
there was a powerfulness about their build
that is not often seen in African races.
Broad cheSted, with muscles finely develop
ed short, thick neck and small bullet head,
the lower limbs were massive and strong
to degree. The chest was covered with
black. curly hair and most Of the men
wore thick, black boards. Each carried
either bow and culver Of arrows, or short
throwing spears. Round their arms they
wore iron rings, and some of them had
tneSe around tnelT neckS also. i Cldtted
away to the little man who knew the Toro
language and l was very much amazed at
the smart way in which he answered my
questions. His knowledge of the language
was not perfect by any means, and he
often used words that were strange to me.
and savored of Pygmyland, yet he spoke
sufficiently well for me to be able to fol-
low him.
The pygmy leader explained that his
country was seven days journey in length
by six in breadth. l next asked him the
number Of his people. and he took piece
Of stick and broke 1t up into little pieces,
about forty In all. and said that each piece
represented chief. and he then went on
to tell me the number of followers of each;
some had 200 other only fifty and a few
as many as 500. 1t was very simple then
to calculate that the total number would
be somewhere about 10000.
He told me that he knew long ago of my
coming. and asked him "How?" He said
that several days ago he saw me. "saw
me-" l said. when did you see me?" II
have seen you in the forest for six days"
But did not see you" l said and then
he laughed most heartily and said: NO,
I could not see him. but he saw me-" Upon
further inquiry l found that large party
of these little creatures had been watching
our every movement all through the for
est. while we were in the most blissful
ignorance of the fact At every camp they
had hovered about US. peering at us
through the thicket as we passed Why
did they not attack us? is the question that
kept coming up INTO my mind. If they are
the thievish. wicked little people that they
have been represented, why did they not
molest us? We were entirely in their
power and had been for the last six days
Perhaps 1t was our very helplessness that
protected us-they' saw that we were not
as the other white men who had passed
through their forest, armed with guns and
having big following of soldier or per-
haps 1 had been, overheard speaking in
the language of Toro to my bows, and this
had given them confidence. 1 firmly be-
lieve, however, that they are not untrust-
worthy folk, as is usually supposed, but
| like most Africans, when not interfered
with they are perfectly harmless.