Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-07-27

mere fact of wandering about with them.
carrying only camera and umbrella or
walking stick, was the cause Of their be-
coming so friendly"
pigmy village consists of 10 to - leafcd
in arbors. about seven feet in diameter
and four feet high. constructed of bent
branches. covered with plnntain leaves.
Each hut is usually inhabited by about
eight or nine people. who all obey their
appointed chief. whose principal duty is
to settle disputes, and Uhe pigmics being
| entirely a nomad race the frequent ques-
, ton Of when and where to move camp
A few cooking pots made out Of clay. and
gourds for water, are their sole household
effects.
~ expected to find them quite devoid
Of dress, but now all the men wear a bit
Of tanned skin. suspended by single
| cord round the waist. ornamented by one
big glass bead; while the women renew
| their cheap costume daily by simply
gathering two punches of green leaves.
1.-THE hair OF all grows exceedingly
short and curly. still they manage to
spend much time in its laying out and
treatment. To cut patterns all over the
head seems the principal style; but some
will shave half the head entirely; others
cut narrow lanes through the hair; while
many twist it up into two or three peaks.
into which they plat the hair of squirrels
or feathes."
! Particularly interesting are Colonel Har-
rison's observations on the physical APP
pearance and customs OF the wonderful
varieties of pgmies he saw. "The gen.
eral height" he says. seemed to run
from three feet ten inches to four feet
FIVE inches. While some would be fairly
fat, the greater part would be mere
skeletons; the women, as usual with all
native races. being always more robust
than the men. Their compilations vary
from very black to n horribly sickly yell
low.
| Copper and brass wire is much priced
for the making of ornaments, different
colored beads. large and small. also
cowrie shells being likewise In great
favor. For the making of weapons they
collect the ironstone, and. digging hole
in the ground for the fire, smelt it down
by the aid of a primitive set Of bellows
made of roughly tanned skin, tied to Il
hollow bamboo cane, which is inserted
under the lire. They make spears. knives
and arrows, the latter of many types and
use nothing but different shaped stones
for tools in their making.
Their length OF life is very short, the
man seldom seeing 40 or the woman 81
years. Considering the conditions OF life,
it is not to be wondered at During eight
months Of the year the forest Is a swamp.
rain falling daily. Food then is very hard
to procure, and they live on anything they
nd frAO
all helping to stave of hunger Smallpox
is a terrible scourge. and all alike seem to
suffer from a hard rackins cough"
The marriage customs OF this strange
pco ole are quaint in tho exteme. They
start life early. generally marrying at
eight or nine. The men buy their wives
with three or four spears and 10 to Ii
arrows, according to the market value OF
the lady These they pay by instalments'
the courtship beginning by the sutton pre-
senting the father with spear. and II
accepted nc comes along again as soon as
ever he can raise another. hut not till the
last arrow Is handed over is he allowed to
take his bride; thus the father always has
something in mind. with which to sootho
the sorrowing lady Of possibly seven or
Iyears of age. a man can have as many
wives as he can afford to buy
"When a boy Is born there are great res
ijoicinGs, but If an unlucky girl appears,
out goes the father to gather iot OK
plantain leaves with which he iashes inc
newly arrived member OF the family frsm
head to foot
Justice is swift and terrible in pgmy
land, murder for instance. being punish
led by the rext-of-kin lying IN wait iot
1.-THE culprit and killing hm.-London EN-
press.