Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-11
BY WILLIAM EDGAR CELL. F. R. G. s.
Copyright 1906 by w, e. Cell


Since my return from the land OF the
pigmies and the relation Of my experiences
among the little people who are now being
studied and aided by missionaries. I have
been so often asked to give some sort Of
historical account of them that feel the
recounting of the results of my researches
regarding them must be of interest.
In the Book of Genesis Ethiopia is spoken
of as land of burnt faces" Homer,
Aristotle and Herodotus, as well as other
ancient and learned writers, make interest
Ing references to the more or less mythical
pigmies. Here. for instance, is what Hero
dotus says Of them:
Il did hear. indeed, what will now re-
late, from certain natives of Cyrene. Once
upon a time, they said. they were on
visit to the oracuar shrine Of Ammon, when
it CHANGED that. in the course of conversa-
ton with Etearchus, the Ammonium king,
the talk fell upon the Nile. how that its
sources were unknown to all men. Etear-
chus upon this mentioned that some Nasa-
monians "a Libyan race had once come to
his court, and when asked whether they
could give any information concerning the
uninhabited parts Of Libya, hao told the
following tale:
them some wild young men, the sons of
certain chiefs, who, when they came to
mans estate, INDUCED in all manner of
extravagances, and among other things
drew lots for five of their number to go and
explore the desert parts of Libya, and try
If they could not penetrate farther than
any had done previously. The young men
therefore dispatched on this errand by
their comrades with a plentiful supply of
water and provisions, travelled at first
through the inhabited region, passing which
they came to the wild beast tract, whence
they finally entered upon the desert. which
they proceeded to cross in direction from
east to west.
After journeying for many days over
wide extent of sand, they came at last
to plain where they observed trees grow
them, they proceeded to gather it. While
they were thus engaged there came upon
them some dwarfish men, under the middle
height, who seized them and carried them
off. The Nasamonians could not under
stand a word Of their language. nor had
they any acquaintance with the language
of the Nasamonians. They were led across
extensive marshes, and finally came to a
town where all the men were of the height
of their captors and black complexioned.
great river flowed by the town, running
from west to east, and containing croco-
dies"
Among the small amount of literature
on the pigmy races of men worthy Of Sc
rious attention Is the report Of a lecture
delivered by the able Pro-. Flower before
the Royal Institute. In beginning his dis
CuSSlOn OF the OlmlnutlVe human races on
the earth he says: 1T is well known that
the nations of antiquity entertained a
widespread belief in the existence Of race
or races of human beings Of exceedingly
diminutive stature, who dwelt in some re-
mote and unexplored regions of the earth.
I'm the opening Of the third book Of the
Iliad' the Trojan hosts are described as
coming on with noise and shouting, like
the cranes which nee from the coming of
winter and sudden rain. and fly with clam
or toward the streams of the ocean, bear
ing slaughter and fate to the pigmy men.
and in the early morn offer cruel battle
or, as Pope has It:
80 when inclement winters the plain
With piercing frosts thick descending RAIN
To warmer seas the cranes embodied n.y.
With noise and order through the midway sky
To pigmy nations wounds and death they bring
And all the war descends upon the wing
THE combats between the pigmies and