Grand tours: A dance with little big man

Adventures in literature: Benedict Allen selects a tale from his new travel anthology

As epic endeavours go, Benedict Allen's latest editorial feat threatens to outshine even his recent 1,000-mile husky-led trek across Siberia. With plummy tones and an upper lip so stiff you could navigate the Nile on it, this British author/explorer seems born a couple of centuries too late and his latest tome, The Faber Book of Exploration, certainly revels in the old-fashioned spirit of adventure, collating the words of travellers and explorers through the ages from Herodotus to Sara Wheeler. Here we meet the 19th-century German botanist Georg August Schweinfurth, the first European to encounter pygmies.

Several days elapsed after my taking up my residence by the palace of the Monbuttoo king without my having a chance to get a view of the dwarfs, whose fame had so keenly excited my curiosity. My people, however, assured me that they had seen them. I remonstrated with them for not having secured an opportunity of seeing for myself, and for not bringing them into contact with me. I obtained no other reply but that the dwarfs were too timid to come. After a few mornings my attention was arrested by a shouting in the camp, and I learned that Mohammed had surprised one of the Pygmies in attendance upon the king, and was conveying him, in spite of a strenuous resistance,straight to my tent. I looked up, and there, sure enough, was the strange little creature, perched upon Mohammed's right shoulder, nervously hugging his head, and casting glances of alarm in every direction. Mohammed soon deposited him in the seat of honour. A royal interpreter was stationed at his side. Thus, at last, was I able veritably to feast my eyes upon a living embodiment of the myths of some thousand years! Eagerly, and without loss of time, I proceeded to take his portrait. I pressed him with innumerable questions, but to ask for information was an easier matter altogether than to get an answer. There was the greatest difficulty in inducing him to remain at rest, and I could only succeed by exhibiting a store of presents. Under the impression that the opportunity before me might not occur again, I bribed the interpreter to exercise his influence to pacify the little man, to set him at his ease, and to induce him to lay aside any fear of me that he might entertain. Altogether we succeeded so well that in a couple of hours the Pygmy had been measured, sketched, feasted, presented with a variety of gifts, and subjected to a minute catechism of searching questions.

His name was Adimokoo. He was the head of a small colony, which was located about half a league from the royal residence. With his own lips I heard him assert that the name of his nation was Akka, and I further learnt that they inhabit large districts to the south of the Monbuttoo.

At length, after having submitted so long to my curious and persistent questionings, the patience of Adimokoo was thoroughly exhausted, and he made a frantic leap in his endeavour to escape. Surrounded, however, by a crowd of inquisitive Bongo and Nubians, he was unable to effect his purpose, and was compelled to remain a little longer. After a time a gentle persuasion was brought to bear, and he was induced to go through some of the characteristic evolutions of his war-dances. He was dressed, like the Moubuttoo, in a rokko-coat and plumed hat, and was armed with a miniature lance as well as with a bow and arrow. His height I found to be about 4 feet 10 inches, and this I reckon to be the average measurement of his race.

Although I had repeatedly been astonished at witnessing the war-dances of the Niam-niam, I confess that my amazement was greater than ever when I looked upon the exhibition which the Pygmy afforded. In spite of his large, bloated belly and short, bandy legs – and in spite of his age, which, by the way, was considerable – Adimokoo's agility was perfectly marvellous, and I could not help wondering whether cranes would ever be likely to contend with such creatures. The little man's leaps and attitudes were accompanied by such lively and grotesque varieties of expression that the spectators shook again and held their sides with laughter. The interpreter explained to the Niam-niam that the Akka jump about in the grass like grasshoppers, and that they are so nimble that they shoot their arrows into an elephant's eye and drive their lances into their bellies. The gestures of the Akka always reminded me of the pictures given by travellers to represent the Bushmen of the south.

Adimokoo returned home loaded with presents. I made him understand that I should be glad to see all his people, and promised that they should lose nothing by coming. On the following day I had the pleasure of a visit from two of the younger men. After they had once got over their alarm, some or other of the Akka came to me almost every day.

'The Faber Book of Exploration' (£25 hardback) is available to 'Independent on Sunday' readers for £22.50 (including p&p within the UK). To order a copy call 01256 302692 and quote 'Independent on Sunday'.

Follow in the footsteps

Short story

Pygmies are a sub-population whose average height is less than 59ins. Numbering 150,000 to 300,000, they live in small, semi-nomadic bands across a swath of central Africa, stretching from Togo and Cameroon, across the two Congos and the Central African Republic to Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.

Pygmies are forest-dwellers who hunt and gather. Today, they no longer inhabit forest areas alone and usually speak a dialect of the tribe with which they are associated.

Getting there

The Foreign Office advises against non-essential travel to Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). The Central African Republic is also dangerous. Cameroon is the best place to meet pygmies at the moment.

Encounter Overland (01728 862222; www.encounter.co.uk) offers a 14-week trek across the Sahara and West Africa for £1,850 (plus a $750 kitty). Week 12 is devoted to a trip into the jungles of south-east Cameroon to visit the hidden pygmy people. Note to the luxury-bound: this excursion involves bush camping. The next departure is on 27 September 2003.

For further information about travelling independently to Cameroon contact the country's embassy (020-7727 0771).

Gerson Nason