The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-11-10
STARR SAILS
TO STUDY PYGMIES
i
HE WISHES TO KNOW THEIR oRI-
GIN AND ANCESTRY.
His Headquarters Will Be LOO Miles
in the Interior of Africa, at Ndombe,
Capital Of the City of King Ndombe,
Who Will Assist Him-Expert Pygmy
Hunters and Their Exploits.
New York Tribune.

Professor ETeuef1ck ioGari, tue euCuu-
siastic anthropologist of Chicago uni
versity, sailed from New York the other
day for Africa on what is thought to be
one Of the most important chronological
expeditions of recent years, his especial
mission being year g soiourn in the
wilds of the central African jungle TO
investigate the habits, customs, etc.,
Of Of the Pygmiess the yellow men en- ; and NJ
markable black liliputians 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 plaster
casts, physical measurements, phono-
graphic records, moving pictures and
hundreds of Photographic negatives of
them: For this purpose he takes with
rapher, Manuel Gonzales.
When asked for an outline Of his
plans, Professor Starr said:, "I shall
study the little Batwa pygmies and
camp with them in their forest reteats.
The pygmies are In no sense apish, as
popularity supposed. The result of my
Investigations will, no doubt, go far to
changed race from their creation, and
not degenerate people. I shall also
make an investigation Of the strange
yellow and copper-hued race Of Afri-
cans recently made known by Samuel
Werner, the missionary scientist now in
that country. He says that the tradi-
tions of these yellow men indicate no
white ancestry. They have tradi-
tional testimony Of an unmixed descent
for hundreds Of years. They are SUI
perior in handicraft and culture to the
dark women. There are about as many
of these yellow men in Africa as there
are negroes in the United States. They
| are scattered thru many different tribes.
| It is believed that they are the last sur
vivors of a mi grafton Of peoples centu-
ries ago into Africa from the region of
the Nile and the Red sea. MI. Yer
ner's preliminary account, both Of the
Batwa pygmies and the yellow negroes,
kind, has awakened a widespread desire
among scientists for more extended
knowledge in regard to them, which can
only come from careful and prolonged
research, such as [ propose making. The
field is rare and fascinating one fol-
the ethnologist. The results may open
up q now chapter of life on the dark
Professor STAIRS headquarters viii
be 100 miles in the interior, al
l Ndombe' in the BE-? Be5giar re Congo pr9tec
Ndombe, who win aid him in carrying
out his Investigations. Large bands
Of Batwa pygmies live in this Territory
They pay him tribute by furnishing
meat and game to supply his larg'
household. King Ndombe is Of a cop
per color, over six feet six inches tai
and Of herculean build. He has a fac,
expressive Of kindly intelligence and ;
searching paiS Of brown eyes, each saie
4o IN Jor 49, ~ I111
King Ndombe g domain is about al
large as the state of New Jersey, an6
contains some 100000 inhabitants. The
king is credited with possessing thirty
one wives and forty children.
Professor Starr will entertain the
royal yellow. sovereign and his colony
Of wives with the stereopticon, Showing
slides Of the African village at the st
Louis fair, where a few Of the pygmy
, boys were exhibited. A band of some
, three hundred of these pygmies lives
on the edge Of King Ndombe g town
! THEY dwell in beehive-like huts formed
Of bent sticks covered with leaves and
palm fbers, with an opening in thu
! bottom just large enough for them tx
crawl thru. The inside would be abou
2 the size of two good-sized dry good
boxes. This cramped place shelters 1
t man, wife and half dozen children
II
or lie at full length in one of thes
structures. The more primitive pyg
mics are to be, found far in the fores
interior, where the eedwelling tribe
exist. Here cannibalism is met with
and some more or less dangerous an
thrilling experiences may result: Wit
pygmy guides and armed native al
PENDANTS, Professor Starr will pitch hi
camp and carry on his observation
within range Of the deadly poisoned al
rows Of the tree-hiding dwarfs, no
yet introduced to white men.
y Samuel Werner, now awaiting Profes
, sor Starts arrival to introduce him
King Ndombe,' and who was for man
months practically next-door neigl
Dor to the little black dwarfs, says tn
entire life Of the little people is give
up to hunting and fishing. They neve
till the soil or become agriculturist
\ Their principal weapon is the primitiv
/ bow, with poisoned arrows. The py!
mics are often shorter than their bow
/ The poison they use is one of the mo:
fatal known. It will. cause death
from two to five minutes. Sometime
> instead Of quick death, the wound, =.
inflicted upon person, will cause i
: sanity. A light scratch is suff cient
produce madness, and finally death
Commissions in about two weeks. The
is no antidote yet discovered for tn
poison. Many a pygmy hunter is
expert that at seventy five feet he G.
+ send an arrow thru a rat scamperi1
full speed across the ground. The
sense of smell is as keen as a dog
and much of their game is discov er,