/ 



THE TAPIRO PYGMIES 197 



were with us left their spears behind them at the last 

 camp before we reached their village. 



Their visits were always very welcome because they 

 brought with them from the hills quantities of tobacco 

 to exchange with the natives of Parimau, who grow 

 none themselves. At first they were very shy of cross- 

 ing the river, but by the offer of gifts we persuaded 

 them to come into our camp, where we had better 

 opportunities of observing them than in the crowded 

 village. 



At one time or another we took measurements of 

 40 adult men, most of them men in the prime of Hfe, 

 and their average height was found to be 144'g cm. (4 ft. 

 9 in.). It is possible that one or two rather tall men 

 of 150 cm. and upwards, whose appearance led us to 

 suspect that they were Tapiro-Papuan half-breeds, may 

 have been included among those measured, but the 

 correction of that error will not appreciably reduce 

 the true average height. The height of the smallest 

 man measured was 132-6 cm. By contrast with the 

 Papuans they looked extremely small and, what was 

 rather a curious thing, though many of our Malay 

 coolies were no taller than they, the coolies looked 

 merely under-sized and somewhat stunted men, while 

 the Tapiro looked emphatically little men. They are 

 cleanly-built, active-looking httle fellows, rather big in 

 the buttocks as mountain people are apt to be, and 

 their well-made calves are noticeable in contrast with 

 the long, straight legs of the Papuans. They walk 

 with an easy swinging gait, the knees a little bent and 

 the body slightly leaning forwards. 



