Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-21
THE PIGMIEs OF AFRICA.
Specimens of the Strange Race Eeing
Brought TO England.

From the London Mail.
Col. Harrison arrived in London recently
by way of Naples and Alexandria. having
| accomplished the journey from Lado. LOO
miles beyond Khartoum. In twenty-threc
| and half days. Col. Harrison tells an in
teresting story of how he came in touch
| with the pigmies, and. a matter of fact,
! it was perfectly well known that one OF the
objects of his expedition to secure If
possible. for medical and scientific pur-
| poses a few of the tiny inhabitants OF the
| great forest.
He has brought six of them down 10
| Cairo, and all of them the genuine
| Stanley dwarfs, not the alleged spurious
| specimens which have appeared in one or
| two countries.
| 1t was not easy to win their confidence.
| AS the little expedition struck the forest Ii
| found small village after village. The ma
| tives were apparently well disposed. They
| came in in the evening and danced before
| the visitors. but in the middle of the night
| they disappeared mysteriously. This hap
pened on three successive occasions. Then
at last another village was encountered.
where the inhabitants We're more friendly,
4, and luck would have it one OF the boys
| in Col Harrison's party could speak SWa-
| hill, which was understood by the pigmies.
The question was put to them as to whethe,
| they We're willing to accompany the white
hunter on his travels for so many moons.
They were told that they would be care
| fully looked after and brought back again,
| and they readily acquiesced.
Four Of them are males and two of them
are females. Their height varies from
| three feet eight inches TO four feet six
| inches. Taller than this they never grow.
| OF the women, one may have to be left
| behind in Cairo. She IS old, and. unfortu
! nately, is suffering from the effects of
wounds inflicted by poisoned arrows, pre-
| sumably in a tribal raid. Her age is about
| thirty-three, but then few natives live be-
| yond forty in any circumstances Her
| great attractiveness lies in the fact that
| facially she is strongly suggestive of
| simian relationship.
On the other hand, the younger girl who
| is only about twenty-five, is exceedingly
| good looking. Some of the women are
! really very handsome. There Were two
| daughters of one chief who We're notable
J for their good looks, but unfortunately
| their father would not allow them to go.
| groid family, having thick lips and noses
| and dark compilations, with curly hair.
On the return the party struck Lhe river
| a long way below Lado. and came by
! boat. Needless to say the visitors We're
| immensely Interested in all they witnessed,
! and are not apparently scared. Nothing
| pleased them more than the train and the
| rldes they had on donkeys, since in the
! forests themselves there are naturally no
| beasts of burden. Their appetites are
enormous. They eat anything, and in
deed, they crunch the bones well rs the
meat, so powerful are their teeth
They were carefully examined by the doc
tors al Khartum and passed on-clothed-
to Cairo where they are now staying. Not
unnaturally they have Immensely inter
ested the medical profession, and to such
an extent have they been examined that
tLey have entered a humorous protest
against never being left alone.