PYGMIES OF THE ITURI FOREST 341 



existed here a race of dwarfs, who were light brown in 

 color, had crispy hair, and were known as the Batwa. 

 Native tradition also says that these pygmies once 

 lived near the present Lake Tanganyika, where we 

 find today traces of an ancient Batwa kingdom ante- 

 dating the arrival of the Bantu. The Batwa at that 

 time had a tribal organization which resembled that in 

 existence during the same time among the ancient 

 Bushmen of South Africa. Some of these pygmy 

 chiefs, like Asanga, whose portrait appears on page 

 333, can point to genealogies that run back two and 

 three centuries. 



Like the Bushmen, they are omnivorous, and, like 

 many primitive peoples, are passionately fond of salt. 

 The forest abounds in wild fruits and roots, while the 

 animal life is fairly abundant. Being keen trackers 

 and accompHshed hunters, it is no great feat for them 

 to keep the meat pot boihng. Not being fastidious 

 about their food has its advantages also, for snakes, 

 lizards, beetles, grubs, and in fact all suchlike are 

 considered both tasty and nourishing. 



In the kiUing of an elephant they show both courage 

 and cunning, for this huge beast cannot easily be done 

 to death by their puny weapons. They stalk him 

 through the forest paths until he stops to sleep, and, 

 as he dozes in some sunht glade, creep within arm's 

 length of his hind quarters, then sever the leg cords, 

 thus making him helpless to run. A messenger is sent 

 to the nearest village, the drums send out the glad 

 tidings, and soon the hapless mammoth is surrounded 

 by pygmies who spear him to death by heaving their 

 weapons and then deftly recovering them from the 

 elephant and using them again and again. 



