The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-02-10

a. N. weanc. the EshnoIoxist, on Krao
tho Human Monkey.

Recently we published an extract re-
vardlng Krao, the human monkey. We
now have much fuHer account from The
pcu OF Mr.. A. III. Kcane, the distinguished
rfhuoIogist, which presents some starting
facts. Mr.. Keane says:
Through the courtesy OF Mr.. Farini,
have had a private interview with this GU
rious little waif, which he Is now exhibit
ing at the Royal Aquarium, Westminster,
and for which he claims the distinction o.
being the long-sought-for "missing INK
between man and the anthropoid apes.
Krao certainly presents some aDnormai
oeculjarities, but they are scarcely OF SUI
i5cicptly-rronoupce type to JUSTIFY the
claim. She IL, in fact, q distinctly human
child. apparently about seven years old,
endowed with an everagc share Of
Intelligence, aud possessing the fn-
Guilty Of articulatc speech. Since her
arrival, about ten weeks ago, IN
London she has acquired several English
words, which she uses intelligently, and
not merely parrot fashion. as has been
stated. Thus, on my suddenly producing
nv watch at the interview, she was attract-'
cd by the glitter, and cried out G och;,
e ock-thaf Is, clock, clock! This showed
considerable powers OF generalization, ac-
n
Eatioa. and IL appears that her phonetic sys-
item does not vet embrace the liquids sndr.
But I'm this and other respects her education
is progressing fayorably, and she has al
ready so far adapted herself TO civilized
WAYS that the mere threat TO be sent back
10 her own people Is always sufficient to
suppress any symptoms OF uuruly conduct.
Physically Krao presents several peculiar
features. The head and low forehead are
covered down to the bushy eyebrows with
the deep black, lank, and lustreless hair
characteristic OF the Mongoloid races. The
whole body is also overgrown with far
Tess dense coating of soft black hair about
a quarter OF an inch long, but nowhere
close enough to conceal the color Of the
skin. which NAV be described az OK a dark
oliye-brown shade. The nose is extremely
short and low, with excessively broad nos
frils, merging in the full, pouched cheeks,
into which she appears TO have the habit OF
stufing her food, monkey-fashion. Like
those of the antbropoids, her feet are also
prehensile, and the hands so flexible that
they bend quite back over the wrists. The
thumb also doubles completely back, and OF
the four fingers all the top joints bend at
pleasure independently inward. Prog
nathism seems TO be very slightly devel-
oped, and the beautiful round black eyes
arc very large and perfectly horizontal.
Hence the expression is on the whole far
from unpleasing. and not nearly so ape
like as that OF many Negritos, and espe-
ciaIly Of the Javanesc "Ardi." figured by
me in "Nature," volume %, page 200.
But it should be mentioned that when in
yet Krao's lips are said TO protrude so far
rs TO give her "quite chimpanZce look.o
Apart from her history one might feel
disposed to regard this specimen merely as
a .'sport" or hlSuS nature, possessed ra-
ther OF a pathological than OF strictly al |
thropological interest. Certainly, isolated |
cases OF hairy persons. and even OF hairy |
families, are not unknown to science. SIEVE |
raj were figured IN recent number OF the |
Berlin ZeitSchrift .tiT Ethnologie. and, if
remember, both Crawford ("Jonrnal Of an |
Embassy to Ava ')and Colonel Yule IL Mis- |
sion 10 the Court Of Ava y speak Of a-hairy !
family resident for two or three genera- |
tions at the Burmese capital. This family |
is reported to have come originally from |
the interior OF the Lao country, and in the |
same region we are now told that little |
Krao and her parents, also hairy people, |
were found last year by the well-knOwn |
eastern explorer, DR.. Carl Brock Soon
after their capture, the father appears to |
nave u1eU OF cnOlcTd, White lne DOtncT was 4
detained at Bangkok by the Siamese Gov
eminent, so that Krao alone could be |
brought to England. But before his I
death a photograph OF the father
was taken BY Mr.. Brock. who de-
scribes him as "completely covered with a
thick hairy coat, exactly like that OF
the anthropoid apes. On his face not only
had he heavy, bushy beard and whiskers,
similar in every respect TO the hairy family
at the Court OF the King OF Burmah, VINO
also came from the same region as that in
winch Krao and her father were found,
but every part was thoroughly enveloped
In hair. The long arms and the rounded
stomach also proclaimed his close alliance
90 the monkey form, while his power Of
speech and his intelligence were so far de-
veIoped that before his death he was able
10 utter few words in Malay"
Assuming the accuracy Of these state
ments, and of this description, little Krao,
of course. at once acquires exceptional
scientific importance. She would at all |;
events be living proof Of the presence OF
a hairy race in further India, q region at
present mainly occupied by almost hairless
Mongoloid peoples. From these races the
large straight eyes would also detach the
krao type, and point TO possible connec-
ton with the hairy, straight-eyed Aino
tribes, still surviving in Yesso and Sakha-
lin, and formerly widely ditfused over ia
pan and the opposite mainland.