490 THE PYGMIES OF THE GEEAT CONGO FOREST. 



race of men known to us — and the vivacious intellig-ence, mental adroit- 

 ness, almost fairy-like deftness they exhibit when dwelling- with Euro- 

 peans. No one can fail to be struck with the mental superiority they 

 exhibit under these novel circumstances over the big- negro, whose own 

 culture in his own home is distinctly higher than that of the forest 

 pygmies. * "' " They are very fond of singing and dancing, and 

 the little songs that they croon are distinct!}^ melodious, while specta- 

 tors are kept in tits of laughter by their truly droll and elfish antics. 

 When they give a musical performance they are fond of seating them- 

 selves in a semicircle. In their own homes, on these occasions, they 

 beat drums, which are made of sections of hollow trees covered with 

 skin. While thus seated, and beating drums, they chant songs, and 

 dance, so to speak, all over their bodies, striking the ground with their 

 elbows and hips, knees and hands, wagging their heads, and heaving 



their stomachs up and down. 

 The dances which they per- 

 form upright are sometimes 

 of a markedly indelicate 

 kind, though the dwarfs seem 

 only to be carrying out the 

 ancient traditions. 



IMITATIVE AND ADAPTIVE. 



The Congo dwarfs, though 

 they may exhibit ape-like 

 features in their bodies, and 

 though in their natural life 

 they are absolutely savafe, 



The most primitive musical instrument. Mbuba negro displaV nevertheless a Certain 

 playing on a string. alei'tnCSS which givCS OllC the 



impression that they possess quicker intelligence and a greater adapt- 

 ability of mind than the ordinary big negro. They are admirable 

 mimics. T'hey learn languages easily, though they may speak them 

 with a defective pronunciation. The little dwarf women readily attach 

 themselves to negroes of the big races, and make ati'ectioiiute and 

 dutiful wives. When Captain (now General Sir Frederic) Lugard 

 journeyed through the Semliki forests, the Sudanese soldiers ))y whom 

 he was accompanicnl brought away with thcmi several dwarf women 

 whom th(>y married. It used to be an amusing sight to see husband 

 and wife together, the husband perhaps feet in stature and ])ro!ul in 

 pro])oi'tion, and tiie little wife 4 feet only, and disproportionately 

 broad. 



