AT BEDEN. 3 



the rapids. Here the goods are again shipped for transport 

 to Kiri. 



In conversation with Sheikh Beden, who came with six 

 sons to greet me, I learnt further details about the existence of 

 a race of dwarfs who are said to inhabit mountain caves to the 

 west of Beden. These little people, of about forty inches in 

 height and of a brown colour, are greatly dreaded by the 

 negroes. They are said to shoot very small arrows, which 

 are deadly poisoned and very difficult to extract, and to live on 

 white ants and roots, not, however, despising a sheep or a 

 goat. On account of their great agility, they are difficult to 

 catch ; and as they live in their caves, the negroes do not trouble 

 themselves about them, but avoid going too near the mountains. 

 I was told that the mountain which they inhabit was named 

 " Nyan-Nyan," and some of the people call the dwarfs by the 

 same name, but others call them " Nyam-Nyam." Now, this 

 name would curiously coincide with the statement made by 

 Mariette Bey, that all dwarfs were called by the ancient 

 Egyptians " Nam," or reduplicated, " Nam-Naxri." I refrain 

 from any comment on this point. I had heard several months 

 before of the existence of such pigmies, who appeared to be the 

 remainder of a dwarf population which ages ago spread itself 

 over Central Africa, but I had considered the rumour to be a 

 myth, for I was loth to believe that such curiosities could exist 

 in a country which had been occupied by us for years, without 

 any one knowing of them. 



Beden is some 1490 feet above sea-level. The island 

 suffers from a plague of ants, which renders the cultivation of 

 the soil almost an impossibility, and compels the frequent re- 

 building of the huts. The soil is composed of coarse sand. 



Early next morning, the " Nuggers " (boats) were ready 

 to start, and we made our way up-stream ; but progress was 

 slow, owing to rocks obstructing the navigable channel. It was 

 lucky that the boats, which were built of very tough acacia wood 

 {sunt), could bear with impunity many a hard bump on these 

 rocks, although after a sharp collision they often shipped great 

 quantities of water, on account of their badly calked seams. 

 European boats would fly into a thousand pieces if subjected to 

 the rough usage customary here, apart from the fact that no 



