Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-07-04
MiisfeIIaneous.
Neither Gorillas nor Humans.
A JAPAnEsE TREE OF HAIRY PEOPLE,
WHO POSSESS TAILS.

Can it be supposed that when Dean
Swift liDeled humanity by degrading it be-
low the level of the brutes In his dreadful
fiction of the Yahoos he eyersimaeined
that there existed aught that approximat-
ed toward the odious picture? Yet such
is the case. There are, undoubtedly,
races whose attributes do, In various de
grees, suggest. il they do not realize, the
misanthrOpic fables of the men-beasts of
Houyhuhms Land. The Maintains OF
Africa, who live between the Gulf-of Ben
in and Abyssinda, are said to have tails, a
statement confirmed by DIR. Hubsh. OF
Constantinople. in 1851. The hairy peo-
ple'' mentioned Of old by Hanno seems to
have a real existence. apart from the gor-
lila, Judging from Miss Birds account of
the Amos of Japan, strange. savage,
and little known race, supposed 10 be the
aborigines OF that country, but now only
to be found on the Island OF Yezo. They
are she says, of most ferocious aspect,
owing to the profusion of their thick, soft
black hair and boards, and to the singular
fact that their bodies are commonly COW
cred with . vigorous growth Of black
hair or fur, upward OF an inch in length,
and incrusted with dirt. tor the Amos
never wash Their food is q ''stew OF
abominable things and thick soup
made OF putty-clay, which Is boiled
with the bulb of white lily"
They believe themselves TO be de-
scended from dogs, but other Characters
tics OF this strange people are not nnaml-
able. Beyond these instances. and pre-
senting far more striking resemblance
To the Yahoo type. there are the Vedda-
or Weodahs or Ceylon, their duplicates
in Borneo or New Guinea. and kindred va
rieties discovered in the Philippine Islands
Terra del Fuego, and South America.
Only none Of these are 80 hateful as the
creatures of Swift's invention. IL needed
that fierce Indignation against his kind,
which he has recorded in his epitaph,
70 depict them. The Teddas and similar
races on the islands OF the Asiatic archi-
pelago are described rs the aboriginie5 of
their respective countries, who have shrunk
into the Jungle and forest to escape from
civilization, and have lived there for up
wards of 1000 years. They construct no
habitations. but lodge in caves or trees
or under overhanging rocks. They are
stunted in size, seldom exceeding tour
feet eight inches in statue, and but feebly
built. except rs regards their arms, which
the constant use OF the bow renders very
muscular Notwithstanding their short.
ape like thumbs With this weapon they
kill animals tor food; dcvouring. besides.
snakes, reptiles. wild honey, ants. eggs,
and carrion of all kinds. They lack both
memory and foresight, cannot count or
p discriminate between colors. are filthy
in their habits, and in everything
save rudmentary language of I'M
couth gutteral sounds, and some dim
yestiges of religion and social order, are
the beasts Of the field. Saddest perhaps
of all. they never laugh. When they die
they believe thew become devils. Yet this
benighted and ortcast race, so low III or
ganization habits and character rs scarce
" To be distinguished from the monkeys
of the Jungle among whom they live.
practice by instinct virtues. which are not
too common in civilization. They never
lie, steal nor quarrel. Some of these I'M
fortunate creatures have been hali-tamed
by the Cugalese and sent to outdoor work,
like the Yahoos of the llouyhuhms.
When the prince OF Wales visited the is !
land in 1876, certain of the Ncddas were /
actually caught in snares and traps to be
exhibited TO him. and one OF the number
"a female-positivcly died OF fright in be-
ing secured. 1t was not a humane tran
saction. the Neddas are regarded merely
rs animals Finally. it may be remarked,
in connection with Swilt's curious antici-
patton. that he placed Houyhuhms Land
near the great island continent of Aus
tralia. IL sppears in the map of the first
edition OF ''Guiliver' rs due south of
Nuvst's Land, in about - degrees south
latitude. and lj5 degrees east longitude.
Now. Ceylon is but - degrees west of
this locality though above. rs New Guinea
is just below. the equator. The Iahoos
could not have been better accommo-
dated.-From An The Year Round.