Belgian ] Congo 17 LANGUAGE ; POPULATION Sankuru district, and East Bantu those which serve the people near the lakes.

On the hypothesis that the Bantu migrated from the north-east, this classification implies that East Bantu is the most archaic speech , South Bantu is intermediate, and North Bantu is farthest removed from the original speech.

The Azande have a language of their own, which has driven out those of many of the tribes whom this conquering people have largely absorbed .

(6 ) POPULATION Distribution Data are lacking for a precise estimate of the density of the population. There is some evidence that the people are most numerous in the north -east and south west, that they tend to congregate along the banks of the large rivers and lakes, and that their numbers are either stationary or declining. It is asserted also that the natives tend to desert the country crossed by a main line of traffic .

Nomads Only the Nains are nomads. The most numerous groups of Nains are the Mambutti pygmies of the Ituri forest ; other smaller groups of pygmy peoples occur scattered among the tribes of the east and south . All Nains are hunters,and barter meat for vegetable produce with the sedentary tribes. The Ituri Pygmies change their location in the forest in accordance with the facilities which arise for barter ; the Nains elsewhere attach themselves to the tribe which offers superior inducements to provide meat ; it is regarded as a mark of high repute for an agricultural tribe to be served by a group of Nains.

0