THE AFRICAN PYGMIES, 663 



humain soit la plus savoureuse." * The average height of some 

 thirty individuals measured by the pasha was 1*36 metre. They 

 are usually of a lighter brown than the Monbuttu, but the differ- 

 ence of coloring is rather in the tone than in the shade — in other 

 words, the Akkas are of a red-brown, the Monbuttu of a yellow- 

 brown.f Their hair is black-brown or quite black, growing in 

 tufts, as already described, short and very woolly, and too scanty 

 to be made into the ornamental coiffures so much in vogue among 

 the Africans. There is an abundant growth of hair all over the 

 body, and " it can not be denied that the mouth resembles that of 

 certain apes." This is noteworthy when contrasted with Dr. 

 Wolf's remark on the Batwa, " Irgend welche pithecoide Merk- 

 male waren nicht vorhanden." The Monbuttu frequently inter- 

 marry with the Akkas, and half-breeds are far from uncommon. 

 Two Akkas were sent to Italy by Signor Miani, one of whom, we 

 believe, is still living at Yerona. 



The Wambatti, first made known to the world by Mr. Stanley's 

 . narrative, live farther west than the Akkas, from whom they do 

 not appear to differ materially — unless it be in the " spiteful and 

 venomous " disposition evinced by their unprovoked attacks on 

 the expedition ; whereas the Akkas, though dangerous on provo- 

 cation, are tolerably peaceable when well treated. 



Within the great horseshoe bend of the Congo, and apparently 

 ranging over a vast extent of country, dwell the Watwa or Batwa. 

 Mr. Stanley first heard of them in 1876, from Rumanika of Kar- 

 ragwe*, and, later on, at ISTyangwe', from Abed bin Jumah, who, in 

 a singularly picturesque and graphic narrative, recounted the 

 tragic history of Sheik Mtagamoyo, the cruel and dauntless — how 

 he fitted out a strong caravan for the country of the dwarfs, ex- 

 pecting to make his fortune in ivory, and went back poorer 

 than he came. J Stanley did not himself come in contact with 

 these Watwa, except in the person of a single individual who was 

 brought in by his men at Ikondu, on the upper Congo or Lualaba 

 River.* He measured three feet six inches and a half in height, 

 was " light chocolate " in complexion, and carried a bow and poi- 

 soned arrows. 



Mr. H. H. Johnston, || in 1883, saw two slaves among the Ba- 

 yansi, near the Kwa River, who probably belonged to this race. 



* Thus differing from Wmwood Reade's Fan acquaintance, who assured him that, con- 

 sidered as a dish, man was " all alike good." 



f " Tandis que les Akkas appartiennent aux peuples negres dont le fond du noir est rouge, 

 les Mombouttous montrent un brun ou noir au fond jaune." This appears to contradict 

 the general tenor of what has been said about the Pygmy races, but it is probable that no 

 hard-and-fast rule can be laid down as to color. 



t Through the Dark Continent, pp. 390-393. 



* Ibid., pp., 435, 436. fl The River Congo, p. 215. 



