Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-10-30
OBSERVE PYCMlES
Object Of Expedition to Africa
Headed by Prof. Fred
erick Starr.
TO MAKE CAREFUL RESEARCH
Intends to Camp With Little Natives
in Their Remote Forest
Retreats.

siastic anthropologist of Chicago uni
er day for Africa on what is thought
to be one Of the most important ethno-
logical expeditions of recent years. his
especial mission being a years so
journ in the wilds of the central At
rioan jungle to investigate the habits,
customs. etc. of the pygmies. the vel
low men and the cannibals of that re-
gion, says the New York Tribune. The
remarkable black lilliputians Of Africa
form one of the eniGmas of the dark
continent. Professor Starr hopes to
throw new light upon their origin and
ancestry by making a 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
study the little Batwa pygmies and
camp with them in their forest re-
treats. The pygmies are in no sense
apish, as popularity supposed. The re-
suit of my Investigations will, no
doubt, go far to prove that they have
been an unchanged race from their
creation and not a degenerate people.
/ shall also make an investigation of
the strange yellow and copper hued
race of Africans recently made known
by Samuel Werner, the missionary sci
enlist now in that country. He 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 handicraft and culture
to the native blacks and do not like to
marry dark women.
As Many There Here.
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.
1t is believed that they are the last sur
vivors of a migration of peoples cen
turtles 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, has 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 1 propose
making. The field is rare and fas-
cinating one for the ethnologist. The
cha 70 pf
life on the dark continent"
Professor Starts headquarters will
be LOO miles in the interior. at Ndom-
he, in the Belgian Kongo protectorate,
the capital city of King Ndombe. who
will 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 a face expressive of
kindly intelligence and a searching pair
of brown eyes, each said to be as
large as a quarter Of dollar. King
Ndombe's domain Is about as large as
the state of New Jersey and contains
some 100000 inhabitants. The king is
credited with possessing thirty-one
wives and forty children.
A band of some 300 pygmies lives on
the 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 shell
tiers a man, wife and half a dozen chill
dren. A full grown native cannot
stand erect or lie at full length in one
of these structures. The more print
tive pygmies are TO be found far in the
forest interior, where the tree dwelling
tribes exist. Here cannibalism Is met
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.
Hin. Been Next Door Neighbor.
Samuel Werner, now awaiting FRO |
feSSOT kt1rr HTTlN6f 10 HifD II
TO King Ndombe, and who was for many |
practically next door neigh |
Dor to the little black dwarfs. says the |
entire life of the little people is given
up to hunting and fishing. They never |
till 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 will cause death in
from two to FIVE minutes. Sometimes, |
instead OF quick death. the wound, II /
inflicted upon a person. will cause in
sanity A light scratch Is sufficient to /
produce madness. and finally death by
In about two weeks. There /
Is no antidote yet discovered for this
k1.r,tc.