Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20
plea tor Qigmie9.
Practically No Effort Has Been Made Chrsaniz These
Intelligent Back People of Africa
BY WILLIAM EDGAR CELL. r. r. G. 8.
Copyright, 1906, by W. f. Geil.)

l had been for weeks in the vast wood
land OF the eternal twilight, in the very
heart of darkest Africa. so that the pigmies
knew me and were inclined to do any thing
asked of them. One day had dispatched
messenger ahead, inviting the plgmies
to meet me at certain place In the forest.
Sure enough l found on arrival full dozen
awaiting the coming of The Big White
Chief as they were pleased to call me.
On looking them over we found that no
women were present, and messenger was
at once dispatched asking some to come.
Soon after four women appeared, and be-
hold. with them a pgmy baby seated
astrlde its mothers left hip the first plgmy
baby had ever seen. 1t was little smaller
than an ordinary baby-if there is such a
thing as an ordinary baby"-with head
well shaped, body well developed. eyes
bright. it's laugh as cheerful as that of a
white child, and its cry as insstent and
sad.
The pigmies went through various per-
formances for our entertainment First
they sat on the ground in an ellipse. Three
elected to place their launches on sections
Of two-inch tree trunks. How they could
be more comfortable there than on the
level ground probably only a pigmy could
explain. But l doubt not that they could
give as good an explanation as that of the
trunks for pillows. The sultan OF the
pgmies wore bit of foreign cloth about
his head and an equally small bit about
his body; others were equally scantiiy sup
piled with bark CLOTH The sultan held a
piece of heavy wood rounded on each SIDE
half an inch thick and ten inches long, in
his left hand. On it he beat time with a
smaller stick which he had in his right
hand. The other pigmies made grimaces
which at times suggested the facial express
sions of apes, orang-outangs and monkeys,
while their voices were engaged in weird
woodland chant. Then the sultan sang a
solo and all the others Joined in the refrain.
When two local drums struck up they
all arose and danced with the right foot
the left hand and the face. Other musical
instruments they have none, though /
searched their huts and camp to The
dance was followed by march, first in a
circle then in the form of ellipse, the
women joining in the performance. The
woman with the baby enjoyed it much
as the rest, and the child offered neither
visible nor audible objection to the tolli-
fcatiion. although it must have been con-
siderably jolted.
The voices of the pigmies are melodIous;
this holds true in all their fun. The pigmy
faces are well formed from the eyebrows
up. 1 noticed that one of them had very
well developed the chronological bump Of
reason. The pigmieS have we'll developed
eyebrows. while other black people have
almost none. l say black people, but l
have seen very few black people in Africa.
The pigmies are not black, they are brown
with black hair, and all that l have seen
have been well-developed in the chests.
The pigmies are pleasant people because
they keep their persons very clean. The
pigmy bathes often. When there is no
water convenient he uses the fat of an
animal of the forest newly slain. This bath
not only insures cleanliness but warmth
as well. l expected TO find these strange
little freaks of humanity unwashed and I'M
kept, but my personal observation found
them otherwise. They have reputation for
hn&l 1T III, l.Nr-p ant h,rf ha
facts. To-wit. Mrs. Browning in the Dead
Pan writes:
''In what revels are We sunken
In old Aethopia?
Have the pigmies made yon drunken
Bathing In mandragoraf"
Because they are not nervous the