Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-08-27
"TAILED MEN,
How they Live and Where.

The India papers contain the follow
ing letter from Cameron, of Calcutta,
announcing the discovery of stalled
men,
"When l was in Sarawak, I went
now and then with traders who had
been in the Ryan country to the north
west Of the northern peninsula or projec-
ton of Borneo, who gave me detailed
and definite accounts of a race Of men
(not the orang outang) who dwelt among
dense forests, living up trees, which are
of immense size, with their wives and
children, with thei: bows and arrows and
other rude implements, whatever they
may be. They lived entirely by hunting,
and had no sort of agriculture. do
not recolect now, after the lapse Of such
q long period, whether was informed
that they made use of fire, or whether
they cooked at all. They went, of course,
entirely naked.
They bad no intercourse with any 9TH
err people, and spoke gibberish of their
own. 1t was only now and then that
Kyans, Malays or Dyaks ever came up
on their leafy habitations, when, of
course, a 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. l find no great
difficulty in believing this story. Science
in one sense, almost requires it. And in
Borneo the monkey tribe has received al
most its highest development; and why
may not man be found in its primeval
and untrodden forests existing in its iui
tial state of progress. We have lately
heard Of story coming from Africa,
that there is race of men with tails, far
away ip the interior of the continent, and
it is noteworthy that the center of Aria,
like Borneo, is just under the line, and
that in Africa, also, we find the monkey
race in high stage Of development, and
the lowest race of man, the negroes, liv-
ing side by side with them. Viewing
the subject as about the most important
matter which can engage the attention OF
science and of humanity Tin the large
sense explained above) in the present
day, l offer myself to its calculation. /
have little doubt that if the Asiatic So
ciety and the Indian Museum jointly take
earnest action in the matter, they could
easily induce the government to aid in
the enterprise" Mr.. Cameron then de-
tails his plan: First, l should have to
start for Sarawak, lad there procure the
active cooperation of my friend Mr..
Crookshank, the present officiating Gov
ernor Of the Kingdom. l should have
to provide myself vita a quantity Of
valuable trumpery articles, such as mir
rors, beads, DC. should also be pro
Weed 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 murder? And if so, what court could
try me? AT Sarawak | would, with Mr..
Crookshank's assistance, organize party
of, say thirty Dyaks, TO accompany me.
The next point to make would be Milea-
now county, to the northeast of Sarawak,
aud north or northwest of the tract sup.
posed TO be inhabited by the race with
tails.
"Hence after due preparation, l should
have to strike off into the interior, into
trackless forests after my object. 20
meet with them may be easy, and even to
bring back a dead specimen, but the
difficulty would be in opening up com.
munications, and inducing them TO show
friendly feeling, If indeed they know
what that means. Or, it is possible,
should friendly negotiations faiI,w might
proceed 10 use artifice or force to capture
women and children"
In his second letter, Mr.. Cameron re-
marks that the Duke of Argyle has writ
ten a work called g The Primeval Man."
which shows his Grace to be disbeliever
in the ape development theory. I" His
grace" he adds, is the present Score.
tary of State for India, and it would be
a pleasant thing for him, for this coun-
try. to conclusively disprove his weak
theories, by showing that the ape is the
physical progenator of man, net woman.
Will the Asiatic Society ape? The
founder of the Indian Museum some
time since proposed universal ethnolog-
ical exhibition at Calcutta. The tailed
race, if it exists, would stand naturally in
the front ranks of such al exhibition,
and the specimens would create the Curl
ocity and remark not only of Calcutta,
but of the entire scientific world. This
is the true .smissing link this the
great Asian "Mystery
A Negro preacher in Louisiana recent
ly got of the following for the benefit Of
bis hearers: "You thinks the Lord amt
bout heah all de time! If you does,
you is mistaken. One time he met the
debble walkin, roun' like rorin lion, an
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