A Philological Essay Concerning the Pygmies of the Ancients | Page 6

_Trans. Ethn. Soc._, ii. 278.]
In the east the Santals inhabit the basin of the Ganges, and in the west
the Jats belong to the Punjab, and especially to the district of the Indus.
The Kols inhabit the delta of the Indus and the neighbourhood of
Gujerat, and stretch almost across Central India into Behar and the
eastern extremities of the Vindhya Mountains. Other Dravidian tribes
are the Oraons, Jouangs, Buihers, and Gounds. All these races have a
stature of about five feet, and, though much crossed, present more or
less marked Negrito characteristics. Passing farther west, the Brahouis
of Beluchistan, a Dravidian race, who regard themselves as the
aboriginal inhabitants, live side by side with the Belutchis. Finally, in
this direction, there seem to have been near Lake Zerrah, in Persia,
Negrito tribes who are probably aboriginal, and may have formed the
historic black guard of the ancient kings of Susiana.

An examination of the present localisation of these remnants of the
Negrito inhabitants shows how they have been split up, amalgamated
with, or driven to the islands by the conquering invaders. An example
of what has taken place may be found in the case of Borneo, where
Negritos still exist in the centre of the island. The Dyaks chase them
like wild beasts, and shoot down the children, who take refuge in the
trees. This will not seem in the least surprising to those who have
studied the history of the relation between autochthonous races and
their invaders. It is the same story that has been told of the
Anglo-Saxon race in its dealings with aborigines in America, and
notably, in our case, in Tasmania.
Turning from Asia to a continent more closely associated, at least in
popular estimation, with pigmy races, we find in Africa several races of
dwarf men, of great antiquity and surpassing interest. The discoveries
of Stanley, Schweinfurth, Miani, and others have now placed at our
disposal very complete information respecting the pigmies of the
central part of the continent, with whom it will, therefore, be
convenient to make a commencement. These pigmies appear to be
divided into two tribes, which, though similar in stature, and alike
distinguished by the characteristic of attaching themselves to some
larger race of natives, yet present considerable points of difference, so
much so as to cause Mr. Stanley to say that they are as unlike as a
Scandinavian is to a Turk. "Scattered," says the same authority,[A]
"among the Balessé, between Ipoto and Mount Pisgah, and inhabiting
the land between the Ngaiyu and Ituri rivers, a region equal in area to
about two-thirds of Scotland, are the Wambutti, variously called Batwa,
Akka, and Bazungu. These people are under-sized nomads, dwarfs or
pigmies, who live in the uncleared virgin forest, and support
themselves on game, which they are very expert in catching. They vary
in height from three feet to four feet six inches. A full-grown adult may
weigh ninety pounds. They plant their village camps three miles around
a tribe of agricultural aborigines, the majority of whom are fine stalwart
people. They use poisoned arrows, with which they kill elephants, and
they capture other kinds of game by the use of traps."
[Footnote A: In Darkest Africa, vol. ii. p. 92.]
The two groups are respectively called Batwa and Wambutti. The
former inhabit the northern parts of the above-mentioned district, the

latter the southern. The former have longish heads, long narrow faces,
and small reddish eyes set close together, whilst the latter have round
faces and open foreheads, gazelle-like eyes, set far apart, and rich
yellow ivory complexion. Their bodies are covered with stiffish grey
short hair. Two further quotations from the same source may be given
to convey an idea to those ignorant of the original work, if such there
be, of the appearances of these dwarfs. Speaking of the queen of a tribe
of pigmies, Stanley says,[A] "She was brought in to see me, with three
rings of polished iron around her neck, the ends of which were coiled
like a watch-spring. Three iron rings were suspended to each ear. She is
of a light-brown complexion with broad round face, large eyes, and
small but full lips. She had a quiet modest demeanour, though her dress
was but a narrow fork clout of bark cloth. Her height is about four feet
four inches, and her age may be nineteen or twenty. I notice when her
arms are held against the light a whity-brown fell on them. Her skin has
not that silky smoothness of touch common to the Zanzibaris, but
altogether she is a very pleasing little creature." To this female portrait
may be subjoined one of a male aged probably twenty-one years and
four feet in height.[B] "His colour was coppery, the fell over the body
was