The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-08-06
Neither GOrillas nor Humans,


Swift libeled humanity by degrading it
below the level of the brutcs in his
dreadful fiction Of the Yahoos he ever
imagined that there existed aught that
approximatcd toward tho odious pic
ture? Yet such is the case. There aro.
undoubtedly, races whose attributes do,
Ill various degrees, suggest, if they do
not realize, the misanthropic fables of
the men-bcasts of Houyhuhms Land.
The Niamniams of Africa, who live be-
tween the Gulf Of Benin and Abyssinda,
are said to have tails, statement con-
tirmcd by DIR. IIubsh, of Constantinoplc.
in 1851. The "hairy people" mentioned
OF old by Hamo seem to have real
existence, apart from the gorilla, Judging
from Miss Birds account of the Amos
OF Japan, II strange, savage, and little
known race, supposed to he tho abort
gincs of that country, but now only to
be found on the Island of Yezo. They
are, She says, Of most fcrocious aspect,
owing to the profusion of their thick,
soft black hair and boards, and to the
singular fact that their bodies arc COM
monty covered with Il vigorous growth
of black hair or fur, upward of M inch
in length, and incrustrd with dirt, for
the Amos never wash. Their food is n
"stew of abominnblc things" and q
"thick soup mndo of putty-clay, which
is boiled with the buR, of white lily. !"
They believe themselves to he descended
from dogs, but other characteristics Of
this strange people are not unamiablc.
Beyond these instances, and presenting
n far more striking resemblance to the
Iahoo type, there arc the Vcddas or
Wcodahs or Ceylon, their duplicates in
Bolnco on New Guinea, and kindred
varieties discovered in the Philipoinc
Islands, Terra del Fucgo, and South
America. Only none of these arc so
hateful rs the creatures of Swift's invcn-
ton. 1T needed that fierce indignation
against his kind, which he has recorded
i'll his cpitnph, to depict them. The
Ncddas and similar races on the islands
of the Asiatic archipelago are described
rs the ahorigincs of their respective
countries, who havo shrunll into the
jungle and forest to escape from civiliza-
ton, and have lived there for upwards
of 1000 years. They construct no
habitations, but lodge in caves or trees
or under overhanging rocks. They nre
stuntcd i'll size, seldom exceeding four
feet eight inches in statue, and but
fccbly built, except rs regards their
arms, which the constant use of tho bow
renders very muscular, Notwithstanding
their short, apc-likc thumbs. With this
weapon they kill animals for food ;
lcvouring, besides, snakes, reptiles, wild
honey, ants, eggs, and carrion of all
kinds. They lack both memory and
foresight, cannot count or discriminate
between colors, are filthy in their habits,
and i'll everything save rudimcntary
language of mcouth cultural sounds,
and some dim vc"tigcs of religion and
social order, are the beasts Of the field.
Snddcst perhaps of all, they never laugh.
When they die they believe they become
DEVILS Yet this benightcd md outcast
race, so low in organization, habits md
character as scarcely to be distinguished
from the monkeys of the jungle among
whom they live, practice by instinct
virtues, which arc not 50 common in
civilization. They never lie, steal nol
quarrel. Some of thcso unfortunate
creatures have been half-tamed by the
Cingalcsc and sent to outdoor work,
like the Yahoos Of tho IIouyhnhms.
When the Prince Of Wales visited the
island in 1876, certain of the Jungle
Vcddas were actually caught in snares
and traps to be exhibited to him and
one Of the numbcr-a fcmalc--positivcly
died of fright in being secured. 1t was
not humane transaction, the Vcddas
are regarded merely as animals. Finally
it may be remarked, in connection will
Swifts curious anticipation, that Inc
placed Houyhnhms Land near the great
island continent Of Australia. Itappcars
in the map Of the first edition OF
"Gullivcr" as due south of Nuvst's
Land, in about 38 degrees south latitude
and 1855 degrees east longitude. Now
Ceylon is but 55 degrees west of this
locality, though above, rs New GuincT
is just below, the equator. Tho Yahoos
could not have been better accommo
dated.
| al Haven't Amy Notes"