234 The Babis or Edeei/ah of Fernando Po. 



spoken is that given in the accompanying vocabulary, under 

 the head ofEdeeyah. At West Bay, Bl-illi-pa, Bario-bi, there 

 is another quite as distinct, while at another native town, 

 name unknown, on the south-east side, another obtains ; and 

 in bartering with the Bubis, who go round from the neigh- 

 bourhood of Clarence to purchase the earthen pots and jars 

 made there, the traffic is carried on by signs. We saw seve- 

 ral during our sojourn at Clarence Cove, who could not make 

 themselves intelligible to the Edeeyahs. 



Thus, it is evident there are two or more dialects, if not 

 distinct languages, in this small island ; and it is to be re- 

 gretted that the opportunity did not occur to procure voca- 

 bularies, as no doubt a comparison would have removed any 

 questions as to their common origin, which we are inclined 

 to believe, from the general resemblance of their physical 

 characters. 



The Edeeyah have mostly been spoken of, by such persons 

 as have seen them, under the name of Bubis, from their usual 

 salutfition on meeting a stranger — of Bubi,tlie Edeeyah term 

 for friend. They are for the most part well made and mus- 

 cular, with an average height of 5 feet 6-J inches, as deduced 

 from the measurement of fifteen men taken indiscriminately 

 as they passed through Clarence ; round the chest 37| inches 

 and from trochanter major to the sole of the foot 82f inches ; 

 across the head, from one meatus auditoi-ius extreme to the 

 other, 13f inches ; from occipital protuberance to nasal pro- 

 cess 32i inches. Facial angle, 72, The face is more inclined to 

 be round, the cheek-bones not so high, the nose less expanded, 

 the lips thinner, and the mouth better formed than in most 

 other Afi'icans. The eye is at once expressive of intelligence 

 and good-humour. The hair is softer and longer than in 

 any of the West Africans, and although there is a tendency to 

 curl, it is not crispy as in the other Negroes. The skin is not 

 so black ; it is more of an olive shade, and is soft and unctuous. 



The lower extremities are particularly powerful, and the 

 muscles strongly developed ; and from this probably arises 

 the appearance as if the body was unnaturally long, and the 

 legs, from the pelvis downward, shortened. 



The continual exei'cise on foot, as w-ell as the habit of sit- 

 ting Avith the legs doubled up to the chin, must tend to pro. 



