PYGMIES AND FOREST NEGROES 



537 



a fact that the Pygmies, though so distinct a race, have no language 

 peculiar to their race, but, wherever they are, speak (often imperfectly) the 

 tongue of their nearest agricultural, settled, normal-sized neighbours. Again, 

 it is strange that this little people should speak imperfectly these borrowed 

 tongues, because individuals transported from the Pygmy milieu have 

 picked up rapidly and spoken correctly Sudanese Arabic, Eunyoro, Luganda, 

 Kiswahili, and Kinyamwezi. It is, however, less singular an anomaly than 

 the contrast between the brutish lives led by the Pygmies in their wild state 

 — lives, perhaps, in absence of human culture nearer to the beast than is the 

 case with any recently existing race of men known to us — and the vivacious 

 intelligence, mental adroitness, almost fairy-like deftness they exhibit when 

 dwelling with Europeans. No one can fail to be struck with the mental 

 superiority they exhibit 



under these novel cir- 

 <3umstances over the big 



Negro, whose own culture 



in his own home is 



■distinctly higher than 



that of the forest 



Pygmies. 



The Dwarfs are 



■markedly intelligent, 



much quicker at 



■divining one's thoughts 



■and wishes than is the 



ordinary Negro. But, 



then, look at the 



amazing natural intelli- 

 gence of the baboon 



and the almost human 



understanding of the 



■chimpanzee : both en- 

 dowments to a great 



•extent wasted, unde- 

 veloped, not called forth 



by their natural sur- 



Toundings. 



The Semliki Pygmies 



have a good idea of 



drawing, and with a 



sharpened stick can de- 

 lineate in sand or mud 293. two bameute pygmies 



