Strange Discovery in Japar While preparing for the taking of the census a discovery was recently made of the existence of a nail hamlet comprising 39 families, with a population of some 210, a valley near the Nakatsu river, a tributary to the Sumida river, in the State forest in Chichibu district Saitama Prefecture, the hamlet having been unknown to the officials of the Saitama Prefectural Office.
According to the '"Famato," "Hochi and other Japanese papers, a party of census enumerators recently discovered the hamlet, and on making inquiries ascertained that the men and women there are engaged in hunting, using bows and arrows, and in making charcoal, which is usually taken to Tano and other neighbouring districts in exchange for—daily necessaries. Only three of the men had their names registered in the Gummia Prefectural Office, and these joined the hamlet many years ago. When the hamlet was established is not clearly known, hut local authorities opine that the ancestors of these people were refugees of the samurai class who were defeated in battle centuries ago.
In a valley known as Suishokei (crystal valley), in the wilds of Chichibu district, Saitama Prefecture, were also found a group of mountaineers known as Famaotoka (mountain-men), whose number is estimated at 40 or 50 and these are not registered in the census books. been discovered. ap Shogentoge, a Another unregistered village has Pass leading to the upper reaches of the Daido river, which traverses the borders of Yamanashi Prefecture, The "Yomiuri" reports that a rorty of census enumerators, including some coolies, while passing through Suisho-dani (crystal valley), in Chichibu district, met a human figure with very long hair, whose only covering was made of leaves from the trees, The party spoke to the stranger, but no reply was made. The party at once reported the matter to the census officials. It is surmised that, the Fama-otoka docs not under stand Japanese. The local authorities are going to send scientists to the crystal valley to make investigation monogamists, he pointed out, whereas all the other pigmy tribes in Africa are polygamists. They live in huts, which the women build, and eat the animals which they hunt, also rodents and roots which they find in the forest. Their widows, the explorer said, never remarry.
Dr. Vandenbergh said he brought back photographic records of the Wanyike, Wakamba, Wakakuyu, Masai, Ravirondo, Baganda, Ban-yore, Basogo and Mambuti_tribes. He brought back 36,000 feet of motion picture film.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.