Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-08-16
The Connectinn Link.

/
The India papers contain the fol-
lowing letter from Cameron, of Cal
cutta, announcing the discovery of
tailed men," When / was in Sara
wax, ] went now and then with
| traders who had been in the Kyan
country to the northwest of the north
ern peninsula or protection of Borneo,
! who gave me detailed and definite ac-
counts of a race of men mot the Orang
outang) who dwelt among dense
forests, living up trees which are of
| immense size, with their wives and
children, With their bows and arrows
and other rude implements, whatever
they may be. They lived entirely by
hunting, and had no sort of agricul-
ture. l do not recollect now,
after the lapse Of such long
period, whether 1 was in
formed that they made use of fire,
or whether they cooked at all. They
went, of course, entirely naked. They
had no intercourse with any other
people, and spoke gibberish of their
own. 1t was Onlynow and then that
Kyans, Malays, or Dyaks ever came
upon their leafy habitations, when, of
course speedy retreat used TO be beat
by the strangers. These accounts by
the people who had been in that part
of the country were confirmed by
other Dyak tribes and by Malays. I
find no difficulty in believing this
story. Science, in one sense, almost
requires it. And in BOrneo the mon
key tribe has received almost its
highest development; and why may
not man be found in its primeVai and
untrodden forests existing i'm its initial
state OfprOgreSs2 We have lately heard
of story coming from Africa, that
there is race of men with tails,
far away into the interior of the great
continent, and it is noteworthy that
the center of Africa, like Borneo, is
just under the line, and that in Africa,
also, we find the monkey race in q
high stage of development, and the
lowest race of man, the negroes, liv-
ing side by side with them. View |
ing the subject as about the most i'm
pOrtant matter which can engage the
attention Of science and of humanity |
(in the large sense explained above) |
in the present day, offer myself to its |
elucidati0n. | have little doubt that !
if the Asiatic Society and the Indian |
Museum Jointly take earnest action in |
the matter, they could easily induce |
the Government to aid in the enter |
prise" Mr.. Cameron then de- |
tails his plan: First, ! should |
have TO start for Sarawak, and there |
procure the active cooperation of nv |
friend Mr.. CroOkshank, the pFesent |
officiating Governor of the Kingdom.
/ should have to provide myself with |
r,f III
cles, such as mirrors, beads, etc. /
should also be provided with some
rifles of long range. These would be
useful either to repel attacks or to /
bring back at least dead specimen.
Query-WOuld l be guilty OF mUrders
And if so, what court could try me?
At Sayawak | would, with Mr.. Crook
shank's assistance, organize a party
of say thirty Dyaks TO accompany me.
The next point to make would be
Mileanow country, to the northeast Of
and north or northwest of
the tract supposed to ge Inhabited by
the race with tails,
Hence, after due preparation. l
saauld have to strike Off into the in
terror, into trackless forests, efter my /
Object. TO meet with them may be /
easy, il they exist, and even to bring
back a dead specimen, but the diff
Guilty would be in opening up cOmmu-
and inducing them to show /
a friendly feeling, if, indeed, they /
know what that means. or, it is pos
sible, should friendly negotiations
fsils we might proceed TO nSe artifice
or force to capture women af1d chill
dren,
IN his second letter, Mr.. Cameron
remarks that the Duke Of Argyle has |
written a work called Frimeval !
Man," which shOws his gEace to be a
disbeliever il the ape-development |
theory, His grace" he adds, is
the present Secretary of State for
India, and it would be a pleasant thing !
for him, for this country to concur |
sively disprove his weak theories by
showing that the ape is the physical |
progenjtQr 0f man, not woman. VIII
the Asiatic Society aid? The founder |
of the Indian Museum some time
since proposed a universal theological |
exhibition at Calcutta, The tailed |
race, if it exists, would stand naturally |
in the 'front.' ranks of such an exhibit |
tion, and the specimens would sxcite
the curiosity and remark not only of
Calcutta, but Of the entire scientific |
world. This is the true 'tmisSing
link'i-this the great Asian "Mys-
terry -