Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-12
Curious Anticipations.

Can it be supposed that when Daan
Swift hbeled humanity by degrading il
below the level Of the brutes in his
dreadful fiction of the Yahoos he ever
imagined that there existed aught that
approximated toward the odious pic.
ture? Yet such is the case. There
are, undoubtedly, races whose attributes
do, in various degrees, suggest, if thew
do not realize, the misanthropic fable OF
the men-beasts of Houyhnhms Land
The Niam-niams Of Africa, who live
between the Gulf of Benin aud Abvs.
sinla, are said to have tails, statement
confirmed by DIR. Hubsh, of CONSTANT
nople, in 1851. The "hairy people "
mentioned of old by Hanno. seem TO
have real existence. apart from the
gorilla, Judging from Miss Birds NO.
count of the Amos of Japan, strange,
savage, and littls-known race, supposed
to be the aborigines of that country.
but now only to be found in the island
of Yezo. They are, she says, of a most
feroclous aspect, owing to the profusion
OF their thick. soft, black hair and
boards, and to the singular fact that
their bodies are commonly covered with
a vigorous growth of black hair or fur.
upward of an inch in length, and in.
crusted with dirt, for the Amos never
wash. Their food is "a stew of abomi.
nable things" and "a thick SOUP made
OF putty-like clay, which is boiled with
the bulb of Il wild lily" They believe
themselves to be descended from dogs.
but other characteristics of this strange
people are not unamiable. Beyond
these instances, and presenting a far
more striking resemblance to the Yshoo
type, there are the Veddas or Weddahs
OF Cevlon, their duplicates in Borneo
and New Guinea, and kindred varieties
discovered in the Philippine Islands,
Terra del Flego, aud South America.
Only none Of these are so hateful as
the creatures of Swift's inveRtion. II
needed that 6srcs Indignation against
his kind, which he has recorded in his
epitsph. to depict them. The Veddas
aud similar races in the islands of the
Asistic Archipelago are described as the
aDorigines of their respective countries,
who have shrunk into the Jungle and
forest to escape from civilization. and
have lived there for upward of 1000
years. They construct no habitations,
but lodge in caves or trees or under
overhanging rocks. They are stunted
In size, seldom exceeding four fee.
eight inches in stature, and but feebly
built. except as 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 for food;
devouring. 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 hab-
it's, and IN everything save rudiment.
ary language of uncouth CULTURAL
sounds, and come dim vestiges OF re.
iigion aud social order, are as beasts of
the hold. bsddeot, pv. L"ps, vf oil, .Lvy |
never laugh. When they die they be- |
come devils. Yet this benighted and |
outcast race, SO low in organization,
habits and character as scarcely to be |
distinguished from The monkeys of the
Jungle among whom they live, practice
by instinct virtues which are not too !
in civilization. They never
AAS1 o'Ooas hOA duotACAs oOkhC VI tuccc |
unfortunate creatures have been half
tanned by the Cingalese and set to out
door work. like the Yahoos by the Houy-
hnhms. When the Prince of Wales
visited the island, in 1876. certain of
the jungle Veddas were actually caught
in snares and traps to be exhibited to
him: and one of the number "a female !
died of fright in being
secured. II was not humane transac-
tion. but the Veddas are regarded mere,
ly as animals. Finally, it may be
remarked, in connection with Swift's
curious anticipation. that he placed
Houyhnhms Laud near the great island
continent of Australia. It appears in
the map of the first edition of % Gulli-
ver D" as due south OF Nuyt's Land, in
about 3S deg. south latitude. and 125
deg. east longitude. Now, Ceylon is
but So deg. west of this locality, though |
above. as New Guinea is just below, the
equator. The Yahoos could not have
been better accommodated tAll the
Year Round