The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-21
Eon The Boston Post.

The AZTEC CHhDREN.-Those inexplicable
epitomes of humanity, the "Kaana" children,
continue to attract multtudes to Horticultural
Hall, School street, and to astonish the curiosity
of enthusiastic inquircrs to an extraordinary de-
gree. In every point Of view they may be really
regarded us uutathomnble mysteries OF mankind.
As Burns said Of the old bridge,
Thy might be worshipped on the Bonded knee,
And still the secopd dread command he free;
for they are unlike any thing in the heavens
above, in the earth beneath, or in the waters
under the earth and yet they are not without
fern, or 7oid. On the contrary, they have all
the parts and faeulties usually to be found in
'.marvelous proper PERSONS" They live, move,
andtSpeak little and yet il is almost Impossible
to realise while looking upon them that they are
"of woman born" Their tiny size, their SHAPE,
their action, in the classical language OF one of
the eloquent members OF the bar, "disrumple
all our conceptions" of the vagares of nature
in dversifying her specimens of the genus homo.
The boy, named "Maximo," is about ten
years of age, and 334 inches in height; weighs
20 lbs. IL OF. circumference of chest, which
II inches ; circumference Of head 12f inches
The girl, named "Bartolo," is about eight
years of age, and 29t inches in height; weight
II lbs. circumference Of head, Is inches. In
both the arms and legs are of the pipe stem Or
der of architecture, but are muscular, strong aud
tough Their physiological and anatomical for
nations have been pronounced perfect by DR..
Warren, after several very careful examinations;
and although their heads are in size rather
smaller than the average of new born infants, the
anatomists have not been able to discover on
the skulls any sign Whatever of artificial COM
preston Those who have not had an oppor-
tunity ofseeing them, will hardly b. able to con-
ceive of the Outre appearance of child under
yard in height, with head less than day old
babes, a finely developed nose long enough for
IL brigader generals. To Indicate the extent in
which their heads and features differ in proper
tons from those Of people generally, and "the
rest Of mankind" would exhaust our vocabulary
Of anatomical terms. In short, they are like
each other, and nobody else, and nothing else,
living dead, or imagined.
Though more diminutive than dwarfs usually
are there is nothing dwarf like in their action az
appearance. Sprites they might pass for, with
out contrs diction, since the means of comparison
are not at hand. Though almost mute, they can
eat, drink, laugh and be merry, and jump, run,
and climb. Max loves to strike out with his
fist stamp on the floor when his blow falls short
and to bang away on his drum; and little Barty
busies herself very much with little cradle,
and is in the habit OF running up to her brother
and wiping his face with her handkerchief,
whenever it occurs to her that his appearance
would be improved by the operation: aud Max
submits with good grace When not annoyed
by having too much fun poked at them by over
waggish visitors, they are doce, affectionate, and
playful hut when teased, or treated with indig-
nily each can command q 'cloud-c0mpeliing"
countenancc, and give full expression to the
emotions of anger and disdain, their dark lus-
trous eyes lighting up with wr.thful fires
Their f0ndness for frolic is great, and if dealt
with gently, they will sport from morn till night.
Their origin and race are of course involved in
profound mystery, unless we accept the account
given by the adventures who profess to have
found them in Central America. A suspicion
has been limited by outsiders, that they are of
the monkey tribe; but their anatomy, no less
than their oounenances, decisively demonstrates
that they are not: nor have there been discov-
cred in their conformation any of the organic pc.
culiarities WHICH distinguish the negro from the
other races Of mankind.
Their muteness is attributable to the Caspar
Hauser seclusion 10 which they must have been
subjected from their birth. Their vocal organs
are l,erfect aud since they have been under the
intelligent care Of Mr.. kncx they have been
taught to articulate so far rs to utter with toll
cradle distnctness the words-"namma," papa"
"Pety," John" "dinny," and 'suppy"
1t is quite possible that they are what thew
are represented to BE- in the extraordinary narra-
tive which was sent to this country with them;
viz descendants Of the Kaanas, an order of pm
gan priesthood IN Central America, now nearly
extnct-Their features differ from those of the
Aztec Indians generally, but they correspond in
remarkable degree to the protiIes on the bus-
reefs found on the temple ruins at PaIenquc ,as
represented In the great work of Mr. Stevens
on Central America. That those profcs were
intended to commemorate persons Of some ex-
elusive and distinguished order among the
Aztccs, is exceedingly probable, and it is equally
probable that it was select order Of riesthood
1t may have been, and may be STILL in the interior
Of Central America, 4 practice to scc'ude some
members of devoted fan y and train them
up rs mutes, with Il view to using them ult.
mntcly in the mysteries and pious frauds Of pa
ganism.