Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-12-17

\ toH8ltoWed.
In a letter, dated the 18th and 10th
of September, 1880, Capt. Nicholetts
informed Col Sleeman that the boy had
died IN the latter end of August He
had never been known to laugh or smile
He formed no attachment, and seemed
to understand little Of what was said to
him. He was about nine years old
when found, and lived about three years
aftcrward. BE would run on all fours,
but occasionally he walked uprightly.
He never spoke; but when he was hun
| CRY he pointed to his mouth. Only
within few minutes before his death
the servants relate that he pu. his
lknnds to his head, and said eft ached," :"
Y0l411gQ3UE@Waassy h drank il, and
died.
Another instance happened at Chup-
IA. In March, l943. o man and his
wife went ont to cut their crop of wheat
The woman was leading her boy, who
had lately recovered from severe scald
on the left knee. While his parents
were engaged the child was carried off
by wolf. In lS49 wolf with three
cubs was seen about ten miles from
Chupra, followed by boy. The boy
after fierce resistance was caught, and
was recognized by the poor cultivator's
widow by the mark of the scald on the
left knee, and three marks of the teeth
of an animrl on each side of his back.
He would eat nothing but raw flesh,
and could never be taught to spcak-
He used to mutter something. but new
er articulated any word distinctly. The
front of his knees and elbows had be-
come hardened from going on all fours
with the wolves. In November, 1850,
Captain Nichoictts ordered this boy to
be sent 20 Col Sleeman, but he got alarm
cd and ran to 4 jungle.
The same applies to third case,
vouched for by the Rajah of Hasunpoor,
which adds, however, nothing essential.
except that the boy, as seen by him in
1913, had actually short hairau over his
body, which disappeared when he took
to eating salt. He could walk on his
legs, but he could not speak. He could
be raade to understand signs very well.
but would utter sounds like wild ami
mails.
Another, fourth case, however. is
vouched for again by European witness
ses. Col Gray. who commanded the
FIRST Dude Local Infantry ut Sultanpoor,
and Mrs. Gray, and all tie officers of
the place, saw 4 boz who in lS43 hal
been caught while trotting along upon
all fours by the side of a wolf. He
could never be made to speak, and at
last ran away into the jungle.
A fifth case rests on the evidence Of
a respectable landholder OF ofBankeepoor,
N the estate Of Hasunpoor Called Zool-
tukar Khan). Here, too. the boy. who
had been six years old when carried off,
and was ten when rescued, could not be
brought up to speak. thoushitwas easy
to communicate with him by signs.
Another statement of a wolf-bov is
given, but as it rests on native evidence
only, l will only add that this boy also,
when, caught. walked on all fours, ate
raw meat, and smelt like a wolf. He
was treatcd kindly, but though he learnt
to behave better and walk uprightlv, he
never could understand or utter word,
though he seemed to understand signs
One witness states that he uttered the
name of q little girl that had been kind
to him (Aboodeea). and that he showed
some kind of attachment to her; but
this sentimental trait is not confirmed
bv other witnesses.
There are other cases, but those which
] have selected are to my mind the best
at.ested. They all share one feature
in common, which is of Importance to
the student of language more even than
to the student of mythology, viz, the
specchlessress of these wolf Children
1t was this fact more than the bearing
of these stories on n problem of fmvthol-
gy, which first made me collect the evi-
dence here produced.-Max MIler IN
the London Academy.