The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-07-15


owing to the profusion of their thick, soft
black hair and boards, and to the singu-
lar fact that their bodies are commonly
covered with vigorous growth of black
hair or fur, upward of an inch in length,
and incrusted with dirt, for the Amos
never wash. Their food is I" stew of
abominable things" and "thick soup
made of putty-like clay, which is boiled
with the bulb of a 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
YahOO type, there are the Veddas or
Weddahs of Ceylon, their duplicates in
Borneo and New Guinea, and kindred
varieties discovered in the Philippine
Islands, Terra del Fuego. and South
America. Only none Of these are so
hateful as the creatures of Swift'S inven-
ton. 1t needed that fierce indignation
against his kind, which he has recorded
in his epitaph, to depict them. The
Veddas and similar races in the islands
of the Asiatic Archipelago are described
as the aborigines of their respective
countries, who have shrunk into the
jungle and forest to escape from civili-
cation, and have lived there for upwards
of 1900 years. They construct no hab-
itations, but lodge in caves or trees or
under overhanging rocks. They are
stunted in size, seldom exceeding four
feet eight inches in statue, and but feebly
built, except as regards their arms,
which the constant use of the bow rend-
ers very muscular, notwi hstanding their
short, ape-like thumbs. With this weap-
on they kill animals for food; devour-
ing, besides, snakes, reptiles, wild hon.
ey, ants, eggs, and carrion of all kinds.
They lack both memory and foresight,
can not count or discriminate between
colors, are filthy in their habits, and in
everything save rudimentary Ian
guage of uncouth cultural sounds
and some dim vestiges Of
religion and social order, are
as beasts of the field. Saddest per-
haps of all, they never laugh. When
they die they believe they bee )me devils.
Yet this benighted and outcast race, so
low in organization, habits and charac-
ter as scarcely to be distinguished from
the monkeys OF the jungle among whom
they live, practice by instinct virtues
which are not too common in civiliza-
ton. They never lie, steal nor quarrel.
Some of these unfortunate creatures
have been half-tamed by the Cingale.e,
and set to outdoor work, like the Yahoos
of the Houyhnhnms. When the Prince
of Wales visited the island in 1876, GER
tain of the jungle Veddas we're actually
caught in snares and traps to be exhib-
tied to him; and one of The numbers
female-positively died of fright in be-
ing secured. 1t was not humane
transaction, but the Veddas are regard
ed merely as animals. Finally, il may
be remarked. in connection with Swift's
curious anticipation, that he placed
Houyhnhnms Land near the great island
continent of Australia. 1t appears in
the map of the first edition of ''Gulli-
ver'' as due south of Nuyst's Land, in
about 50 degrees south latitude. and l25
degrees east longitude. Now, Ceylon is
but IS degrees west of this locality,
though above, as New Guinea is just
below, the equator. The Yahoos could
not have been better accommodated
AU the Year Round.