Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-10-12
the Paris Correspondent of the N Y. journal of
A NEW BREED OF MEN

Col. Ducouret. who had already penetrated |
Tar IN Africa, was about to set out on a new
and extensive exploration of FIVE years, under
the special auspices of the French govern
ment, and at the charge of the treasury. The
minister OF public instruction asked OF the |
Academy OF Sciences some instructions for
him, which were read al the sitting of the goth
inst. At the same time the Colonel addressed
to the Academy a notice of the race of the
Ghilaues inhabiting the interior of Africa. and
renowned among the neighboring tribes as
caudated, or having tails. The matter is so
curious that have caused to be translated for
you what has been published about it, by one
of the scientific reporters. Lord Monboddo
will not have erred so much in his primitive
stock. -,
From the Scientific Report.
There exists race of men who, according
to the report of certain travellers, are original
ly of the kingdom of Gondar, or of others,
who say they inhabit Soudan in the South,
whose geological characteristics are remarka-
BILE. They have tail.Hke appendage, form
ed by the elongation of the vertebral column,
and they are the last link in tie human race.
The slave merchants cannot dispose of them
without great difficulty, so bad is their repu-
tatlon. The traits which distinguish them are
hideous ugliness of face and figure, ungovern-
able tempers, and stolid intellect. Some of
this race are 10 be found, also. in the Philip
pine Islands, but they were, doubtless, carried
thlther by the slave merchants. However
this may be, when Levantine is looking out
for slaves in the East, he is always warned
not to purchase one who has tail he is told
=" Of all slaves, this is the least profitable"
This race of men is very far behind that of
which Enurrior droopooI apA xrbi nh
day, 10 become the type of manly beauty, mo-
rally and physically.
M. Ducouret, who was in Mecca in the
year 1912, saw an individual of the species
we have just mentioned, and belonging, he
was told, TO the breed of Ghilanes in the South.
Though it be not the first time We have heard
the race of men spoken of, who are furnished
with tails, nevertheless the fact is not suffi-
GENTLY common to take away its interest. We
will, therefore, enter somewhat in detail upon
this strange organic manifestation 81 in
habted Mecca in 1872" says M. Ducouret,
'and being often at the house of an Emir
with whom | was intimate, spoke to him of
Europeans doubted of the existence of men
with tails, that is to say, the vertebral column
elongated externally In order TO convince
me of the reality of the species. the Eclir or
dered before me one of his slaves called Belial
who was about thirty years old, arho hal a
tail, and who belonged to this tribe. On sur
veying this man, | was thoroughly convinced
+! He spoke Arabic well, and appeared rather
intelligent. He told me that, in his country
| far beyond the Seminar, which he had crossed
they spoke different language; this, for want
of practice, he had entirely forgotten; that Of
his compatriots, whom he estimated at thirty
( or forty thousand. some worshipped the sun
the moon, or stars, others the serpent, and the
sources of an immense river, in which they
inundated their victims probably the mouth
of the Nile)-that they ale with delight raw
flesh, as bloody as possible, and that they
loved human flesh above all things-that, afte
their battles with the neighboring tribes, they
slaughtered and devoured their prisoners with
out distinction of age or sex, but that the Iwo
men and children were preferable, the flesl
! being more delicate. This Ghilane had be
: come devout Mussulman, and had lived l!
years in the Holy City. The fondness, In
necessity, even for raw flesh Git really was
want for him,) did not fail to return upol
; him and bis master, therefore, by precau
) ton, never failed, when this fit was on him
. TO provide him with an enormous piece of raw
mutton. which he consumed ravenously, be
fore every body. This desire for raw fesI
showed itself periodically sometimes twic
week. Being asked why he did not try t
correct such habit, he answered, with grea
frankness | have often tried TO overcom
5 this appetite, which received from my fathe
and mother. Inmy country, great and small
: young and old, live in this manner, beside
eating fish, fruits, and vegetables. If my mas
. ter neglected to supply this requirement c
my nature, | am sure | could not resist th
desire which possesses me of devourEg some
e thing, and | should cause great sorrow b
falling on some person TOO weak to conten
with me, an infant, for example, Havin
asked him to allow me to see him naked, (fe
t wished to sketch him. he resisted for Ion
time, but finally yielded, on receiving III
. promise of an entirely new dress, which
: was to send him. He came privately to m
J. house, where he took off the scanty shirt {
: coarse blue linen which he wore was TIT
: enabled to contemplate him quite at my cas-
Y AMI to paint his portrait without exposln
: him to the punishment which would hay
# been inflicted on him, if he had been detecte
s by his fanatical and supersttious master."-
The drawing made under these circumstance
It has been placed under the eyes OF the Acadt
v my.
S Here are some extracts from the desrriptio
+ given by M. Ducouret, of the Ghlanes
e "The Ghilanes are peculiar race of negl
q which have strong resemblance to the MOI
= key much smaller than the usual race the
d are rarely more than five feet high. They al
o commonly i'll made their bodies are lean ar
+. seem weak their arms long and slim; the
: hands and feet are longer and fatter than tho:
: of any other of the human species; the
II cheeks project and their forehead is low ar
n receding. Their ears are long and deformed
It their eyes are small, black, piercing, and twill
kle constantly their noses are large and fla
their mouths wide and furnished with teet
e very sharp, strong, and of dazzling whitenes
e Their lips are full and thick /; their ha
y curled, but not very woolly, not thick, and
!, remains short But what particularly distiI
d guishes them is the prolongation OF the VERT
# bral column.
l. This gives 10 each individual, male or Fl
: male, tail of two or three inches long"
6 Finally, here is the portrait of Bellal. ii
L name of the parsonage the author encountert
= at Mecca
d He was thin and dry, but nervous ar
s. strong. His skin was black-bronzed, shining
re soft to the touch like velvet. His feet we
If long and fiat his arms and legs appeared fe
% BILE, cut we'll supplied with muscles. His ril
o could easily be counted. His face was repu
5 sively ugly His mouth was enormous, h
K lips thick, his teeth strong, sharp, and vel