Professor Starr of Chicago on his return from this
region reported many colonies of undersized people, but did not
discover any pygmy tribes answering to the older legendary
descriptions. Figure 160 represents two dwarf Cottas measuring 3
feet 6 inches in height.
The African pygmies who were sent to the King of Italy and shown
in Rome resembled the pygmy travelers of Akka that Schweinfurth
saw at the court of King Munza at Monbuttu. These two pygmies at
Rome were found in Central Africa and were respectively about ten
and fifteen years old. They spoke a dialect of their own and
different from any known African tongue; they were partly
understood by an Egyptian sergeant, a native of Soudan, who
accompanied them as the sole survivor of the escort with which
their donor, Miani, penetrated Monbuttu. Miani, like Livingstone,
lost his life in African travel. These dwarfs had grown rapidly
in recent years and at the time of report. measured 1.15 and 1.02
meters. In 1874 they were under the care of the Royal
Geographical Society of Italy. They were intelligent in their
manner, but resented being lionized too much, and were prone to
scratch ladies who attempted to kiss them.
The "Aztec Children" in 1851, at the ages of seven and six years,
another pair of alleged indigenous pygmies, measured 33 3/4 and
29 1/2 inches in height and weighed 20 3/4 and 17 pounds
respectively.
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