The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-11-03
TO STUDY THE PIGMIES
Purpose of Prof. Starr's Ex.
pedition Into the wiIds
of Africa.

logical expeditions OF recent years, bis
especial mission being years so.
journ in the wilds OF the central AZ
rican jungle to invesugats the habits,
customs, etc. Of the pygm.. the vel
low men and the cannibals ~ that re.
glon. says the New York Tribune. The
remarkable black lillipuHans OF Africa
form one OF the enlgmas OF the dark
continent Professor Starr hopes to
throw new light upon their origin and
ancestry by making q series OF plas.
ter casts, physical measurements. pho.
nographic records. moving pictures and
hundreds Of Photographic negatives OF
them. For this purpose he takes with
him an expert young Mexican photog
rapher, Manuel Gonzales.
When asked for an outline of his
plans. Professor Starr said. Il shall
stldy the little Batwa pygmles and
camp with them in their forest re.
treats. The pygmies are in no sense
aplsh, as popularity supposed The re-
suit Of my Investigations will. no
doubt, so far TO prove thar they have
been an unchanged race from their
creation and not a degenerate people.
| shall also make an investigation OF
the strange yellow aud copper hued
race Of Africans recently made known
by Samuel Werner the missionary sci.
enlist now in that country lie says
that the traditions OF these yellow men
indicate no white ancestry They have
a traditional testimony Of an unmixed
descent for hundreds OF years. They
are superior in haadicraft and culture
to the native blacks and do not like to
marry dark women
There are about as many Of these
yellow men In Africa as there are ne
groes in the United States They are
scattered through many different tribes
II is believed that they are the last sur.
vivOrs Of migration Of peoples cen.
turies ago into Africa from the region
Of the Nile and the Red Sea Mr.. Yer
ner's preliminary account, both OF the
Batwa pygmies and the yellow negroes,
practically an unknown race of man.
kind, mas awakened a widespread de
sire among scientists for a more ex-
tended knowledge In regard to them,
which can only come from careful and
prolonged research, such as | propose
making. The field is a rare and fas.
cinating one for the ethnologst. The
results may open up new chapter OF
life on the dark continent"
Professor Starrs headquarters will
be LOO miles in the interior, at Ndom-
be, In the Belgian Kongo protectorate,
the capital city Of King Ndombe, who
VIII aid him in carrying out his investi-
cations Large bands OF the Batwa
pygmies live in his territory They pay
him tribute by furnishing meat and
game to supply his large household.
King Ndombe is OF a copper color. over
six feet six inches tall and OF herculean
build. He has face expressive OF
kindly intelligence and searching pair
OF brown eyes. each said to be as
large as a quarter OF a dollar. King
Ndombe's domain Is about as large as
the state OF New Jersey aud contains
some 100000 inhabitants. The king is
credited with possessing thlrty.one
wives and forty children.
A band OF some 300 pygmies lives on
tho edge Of King Ndombe's town.
They dwell in beehive-like huts, formed |
OF bent sticks covered with leaves and
palm fibers. with an opening In the |
bottom just large enough for them to
crawl through, The inside would be
about the size Of two good sized dry
goods boxes. This cramped place shei. |
tiers man, wife and half dozen chill |
dren. A full grown native cannot |
stand erect or lie at full length in one |
of these structures. Thr more primi- !
tive pygmies are to be found far In the
forest interior. where the tree dwelling |
tribes exist Here cannibalism is met I
with. and some more or less dangerous
and thrilling experiences may result. |
With pygmy guides and armed native /
attendants Professor Starr will pitch |
camp and, carry on his observations
within range Of the deadly poisoned
arrows OF the tree hiding dwarfs, not
yet Introduced to white men.
Samuel Werner, now awaiting Pro.
fessor Starts arrival 10 Introduce him
TO King Ndombe and who was for many
months practica,!y a next door neigh
Dor TO the little black dwarfs. SAYS the
entire life Of the little people Is given
up 70 hunting and fishing They never
TIL the soil or become agriculturists.
Their principal weapon is the primitive
bow. with poisoned arrows. The pyg-
mics are often shorter than their bows.
The poison they use Is one Of the most
fatal known. 1t win cause death I'm
from two 70 five minutes. Sometimes.
instead OF quick death, the wound. II
inflicted upon a person. win cause in
sanity, A light scratch is sufficient 10
produce madness, and finally death BY
'onvulslons In about two weeks There
s no antldote yet discovered for this
'oison. Many a pygmy hunter is so
'xpert that at seventy-hve feet he can
END an arrow through rat scamper.
ng fhll speed across the ground. Their
ense OF smell Is as keen as a dogs.
md much Of their game Is discovered
through the medium Of the nose. Their
'eculiar species OF diminutive dog does
OF bark, so a string OF wooden bells
J fastened about its neck TO Indicate
s whereabouts while hunting.
The average height OF the Batwa
ygmy adult Is about four feet, a few
leasuring four feet four Many, how.
yer, are less than four feet. The
Tomen are a trihe shorter than the
leu A a rlIlq a man has orIvy ono I