Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-11-21
general aspect Of muscular develop

ment.
"I saw few ornaments among them.
One I noticed with a bunch Of black
beads, and another wore an antelope
horn on string around his neck. He
was a rain doctor, and the horn was
rain medicine. The only tattooing
saw was series of irregular pyramids
on the neck and arms.
"It was most interesting when the
two dwarfs finally decided to conduct
us to their village to watch their
method Of locomotion. Not a stick
was broken by their stealthy tread.
Scarcely a leaf moved as they 81
lently pushed forward into what SEEM
ed to us painless forest. Their walk
spoke volumes as to the secrecy In
which they are obliged to find safety.
1.-The village consisted Of fourteen
huts on the bank Of a stream in a
clearing Of half an acre. The huts
cannot be called houses-they are on
ly shelters.
ground and a cross pole fixed. Against
this cross pole other poles are leaned.
and the whole covered with sticks and
leaves. One end Is enclosed; all the
rest are open.
Small beds made Of bamboo, rising
a foot from the ground. showed that
the little: people were not insensible to
comfort. A bamboo bed is not at all
uncomfortable.
"An inventory Of all the articles 1
saw in all these huts would include,
aside from the beds, only bows and
arrows, small cooking pots, sticks for
kindling fires, monkey steaks, little
native grasscloth, and quantities OF
cavassa and plantain.
Not woman or child was to be
seen. All had fed to the forest at our
approach. Later. when confidence was
restored. .Ethey all returned.
ut did, not take US long to get on
good terms with our small friends. 1t
was chilly, and we sat down about the
fire. l gave the headman a box OF
matches, having first lit one. A pres
ent of a $40 gold piece to a beggar
could not have been more acceptable
He showed us how they got fire
with two sticks, one foot and a half
long, the other about a foot. The
shorter stick had a round hole near
the end. The longer had a point
which fitted into this hole.
HE laid the stick with the hole In 1t
on the ground, and stuck the point OF
the other into the hole. Close by was
a little heap Of dry bark Of a kind
used by squirrels to make nests. He
twirled the upright stick with great
rapidity, a second man assisting by
holding the stick down in the hole. In
less than a minute by the watch he
had his fire, the sparks catching in the
bark.
"Then the head man had brought
from his HIT n parcel done up In
plantain leaf and revealed a mass Of
wild honey.
"The chief took some honey and ate
it, then passed It to Us. hardly ex-
pected to see such courtesy in a prim-
tive dwarf who had not even thu
semblance Of culture. We were now
as much his guests as II We had eat
en- salt with the most courtly Of ORR
entails.
"a Juicy bit Of monkey steak was
then offered us, but on the plea of hav-
ing plenty Of meat we declined, and
gave our host tin Of roast beef. The
little people were most intent In
watching everything we did. The
blowing up OF an air pillow excited
their unbounded curiosity. All exam
ined the pillow, felt the air against
their cheeks as we opened the valve,
and understood the use to which the
pillow was to be placed.
THAT afternoon we held a relig-
ious service. The whole population at
tended, thirty-two in all. They listen
ed with strict attention to the mission
ary preacher, who spoke In Bralu and
then to the interpreter, who translated
into Ngumba, many Of the dwarfs
knowing something Of both these Ian
guages.
1--WE had hardly sung the opening
hymn when darkness fell like a cur
tain. with no intervening twilight AS
I looked at their wondering faces, lit
up by the freight, 1t seemed to me
very impressive scene. Even In the
dwarf village they listened eagerly to
the words Of the preacher.
Later they showed us dwarf
dance. The stars shed some light up
on the strange scene.
1.-TWO torches made Of pitch from
the mahogany tree lit up the faces.
The music was furnished by the wo-
men.
"One little creature held a cutlass In
each hand. which she beat in perfect
time The next woman clapped her
hands with rythmic regularity. An
other thumped a small drum with her
fingers in regular time. The drum
was made of red wood. covered with
antelope skin.
THE next woman had four sticks
with which she beat a long heavy
piece of timber before her with great
rapidity. Next was a woman with
drum, who seemed to be the leader OF
the orchestra, as all the rest followed
her lead.
"a low song with a peculiar refrain
was sung all the time. At intervals,
apparently at the end Of measure, 1t
would burst out with renewed vigor,
weird music, the like Of which have
never heard. One seemed to hear In
It the music Of the forest, the call Of
the bird, the roar of the lion, the
trumpet of the elephant. and the
sweep of the wind through the trees.
THE dancers were all men, and
there was nothing Objectionable in the
dance. 1t was the playtime Of these
little people Of the forest, whose
amusements are few.
THE dwarf is a hunter. There were
no signs Of gardening or agriculture.