In the Volcanic Region 129 



bearing narrow, pointed, leathery leaves. The colossal stems 

 of the mutoie are only seen on the valley slopes, reaching to 

 a circumference of some five metres. At a considerable height 

 they split into branches which bear a rich epiphite flora. The 

 tops are of a peculiar brownish colour as the leaves have a rusty 

 reddish felt-like surface. A stately specimen of this kind was 

 pointed out to us as the " sleeping tree " of the tschego or 

 chimpanzee. The most common tree is, perhaps, the Polyscias 

 polybotrya Harms., belonging to the araliaceas, the " umungu " of 

 the natives. Then there are also Macaranga kilimandscharica Pax 

 — " mlala " — belonging to the euphorbiaceae, and Corniis Volkensii 

 Harms. 



The tiny Batwa tribe live in this mountain forest, small in 

 respect to physique, but not as regards their powers of propaga- 

 tion, for they populate the whole forest zone. In the territory 

 traversed by the expedition three different families of Batwa 

 became known to us. Besides those dwelling in the Bugoie 

 forest, a second on Kwidschwi, the largest island of Lake Kiwu, 

 and a third described by Dr. Czekanov^ski in the Ruwenzori 

 chain. 



At first all the Batwa were looked upon as belonging to the 

 race of pygmies, but any general acceptance to this effect would 

 be an error. " Mutwa " in the singular, " Batwa " in the plural, 

 appear from Dr. Czekanowski's exact investigations to be the 

 common designations for small men. 



Measurements taken by Raven and myself, and others taken 



later by Czekanowski, of the Batwa in the Bugoie forest showed 



an average height of 1.60 metres. Some attained a height of 



1.70 metres. A people possessing such an average height cannot 



therefore be esteemed pygmies. Czekanowski designates the 



Batwa of the Bugoie forest simply small negroes. In his opinion 



it is not exactly probable, though quite possible, that the ancestors 



of the Batwa were pygmies, and that their development has been 



influenced by intermarriage with the negro tribes. Reasoning 



from impressions received in a general way, I am inclined to 



support this theory, for the Bugoie tribe is entirely different from 

 R 



