Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/03/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Strange thing is I'm short as either a Dutchman or an Aussie. I guess my parents decided to get out of Holland before the next flood. Re the Watusi - People are often surprised when I ten them the Dutch are the tallest people in the world. Aren't they shrimps compared with the famously tall Tutsi (or "Watusi," as you probably first encountered them) of Central Africa? Actually, the supposed great height of the Tutsi is one of the most durable myths from the age of European exploration. Careful investigation reveals that today's Tutsi men average 5'7 " and that they have maintained that average for more than 100 years. That means that back in the 1800s, when puny European men first met the Tutsi, the Europeans suffered strained necks from looking up all the time. The two-to-three-inch difference in average height back then could easily have turned into fantastic stories of African giants by European adventurers and writers. From here - http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1511/ is_n2_v19/ai_20159533 Rick. > The Dutch may run to stuff their fingers in the dike but don't > think that qualifies them as a "race". At a bit over six foot a > Watusi would be called "shorty". > > Walt > > GREG LORENZO wrote: > >> Rick Dykstra <rdcb37@dodo.com.au> writes in part: >> >>> Its an interesting thing that, that the Dutch are the tallest >>> race in the world. I suppose that's natural selection for you, >>> in a country that's muchly 6 foot below sea level, that the >>> average height is a >>> little over 6 foot. :-) >>> >>> >> >> Rick, >> >> I believe the people of Crete are the tallest people, as a group, >> in Europe. In North America, it is the Peigan Tribe, who are >> Blackfoot. These two peoples were the tallest people in the world >> at one time. Not long ago at that. >> >> Regards, >> >> Greg >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information