THE PIGMIES. 33 



considerable area and in possession of complete independence. 

 ( x ) As he passed through Ikoundon, ( 2 ) Stanley captured an 

 individual belonging to that or a neighbouring tribe. This Voua- 

 toua measured l m 41. His head was large and his face was 

 surrounded with uneven whiskers of a light chocolate-brown 

 colour. Like Battel's little Negroes, these Vouatouas are elephant 

 hunters and use poisoned arrows. This combination of physical 

 and social characteristics connect them evidently with the Negril- 

 los above-mentioned. We shall again find similar traits among 

 their brethren, the descendants of the Pigmies of Homeb and 

 Pomponiits Mela. 



The tradition referring to the latter is by no means lost ; it 

 has been kept up, in particular, by the Arab geographers who have 

 placed a river of the Pigmies in the South of Abyssinia. The 

 Reverend Father L^on des Avajstcheks is of opinion that this 

 river can be identified with a stream springing from the Anko 

 mountains, a little to the north of the Equator. In this region, 

 about 32° east longitude, this eminent missionary has placed his 

 Wa-Berikimos, ( 3 ) also called CincalUs, which literally means ivhat 

 a wonder ! He also saw, in the kingdom of Gera, several of these 

 dwarfs whom he describes as " deformed, thick-set beings, with 

 large heads, and at the most four feet in height " (about l m 30) (*). 



The particulars collected by M. d'Abbadie from Amace, ambas- 

 sador of the King of Kullo, and from a woman a native of the 

 neighbouring territory of Kaffa, ( 5 ) corroborate the preceding 

 statements. The Malas or Maze MaUas would stand a little over 



C 1 ) In Stanley's large Map this region is placed in about 3° south latitude 

 and 19° east longitude. The traveller adds that the Vouatouas are also 

 called VouaJiouaangas, VouaJtoumas and Vouakonmous. 



(a) Ikoundou is in latitude 2° 53'. 



( 3 ) JEsquisses geographiques des pays Oromo ou Galla dits pays Somali 

 et de la cote orientate d'Afrique, with a map, borrowed from a letter to M. 

 D'Abbadie. {Bulletin de la Societe de Gfeographie. 4me serie, vol. XVII, 

 1879, p. 163). 



( 4 ) Lettre a M. A. d'Abbadie, with a map (Bulletin de la Societe de 

 Geographic, 5me serie, vol. XII, 1866, p. 171). 



( 8 ) Situated about 6° north latitude and 31° east longitude (Map of Rev. 

 Father LiON des Avanchers, loo. cit.) 



