The Indianapolis journal., 1883-04-27
RAIRY PEOPLE.
Men and Women with Hirsute Coverings
Not UnknOwn-Several Instances of the Pc
culiarity.

culiarity.
Times of India.
Hairy people, though sufficiently rare, are
occasionally met with in that part of the
world which has given Krao to Mr.. Farini
There are now living at Mandalay three such
perSons-mother son and daughter. who
have the whole of their bodies covered with
long, silky hair, of a deep brown color, but
paling over certain parts Of the face. When
Mr.. Crawford visited the court OF Ava, in
1876. he was shown a mar named Shway-
Moung, the progenitor of these people, who
was also similarly distinguished. He gives a
sketch OF the man, whom he designates hir-
sutus homo. This individual. whose
forbears were said to have come from
an eastern state tributary to Burmah,
had then an infant daughter, Maphoon, who
inherited the hirSute popularity of her
sire. On the occasion of Captain Yule's visit
to the Burmese. court, in 1866, Maphoon,
now matron, waited on the English party
with her husband (non-hirsute) and her two
sons. Only one of the boys took after his
mother, but shortly afterward the lady was
blessed with daughter who developed the
maternal characteristics in marked degree.
The family are perfectly intelligent, the son
following tine occupation of carpenter,
When European visitors were more frequent
at Mandalay than now they used to make a
good deal of money by exhibiting them
selves. At one time they refused 10 appear
lOl du1 bulity Vi lOi ~
rupees. The features of the son ap-
proach somewhat to the European type,
while those of his mother and sister are
distinctly Burmese 1t makes one smile to
read of Mr.. Brock, who conveyed Krao to
England, offering a reward for the capture"
of specimen" OF these hairy people, as if
they ran wild in their native woods. Euro
pean Spectators have frequently tried to get
possession of the Hairy Family" at
Mandalay, but the court will not hear of
their expatriation. An Italian is said to
| have offered to marry Maphoon-of course
before she got Burmese husband-provided
he might be allowed to take her out of the
country. Those of our readers who are
ACC uainted with Miss Birds travels in Japan
will recolect her description of the Amos,
who, she states. are completely covered with
hair and have features almost European in
type. They live, to the number of about
| 10000, in a mountainous district, not far
| from the sea- and are supposed to be the
original inhabitants of the island. Miss Bird
appears to have contracted n liking for these
| Amos and she regards them as superior,
ply sically and even morally, to the Japa-
| nese, who have supplanted them. She tells
| how she was ferried across a river by an
Aino completely covered by hair, which on
| his shoulder was wavy like that of re-
triever and rendered clothing quite needless.
either for covering or warmth" Mr. Dar-
win is said to have characterized this pecu-
larity as a reverson to the primitive type,
| and there can be no doubt whatever that
early man did possess a complete cover
| ing of hair. The few rude sketches of our
palaolithic ancestors which we possess, carved
in fragments OF mammoth ivory or deers
horns represent men as having hairy bodies
and, oddly enough, with the beard and poll
of the Aino. Hairy people are not unknown
in Europe. A few years back a sensational
paragraph went the round OF the European
press announcing the discovery in Hungary
of man with complete natural covering
of hair In 1854 Evelyn records that he saw
hairy woman, whom he describes as having,
besides beard and mustache, long locks grow
ing in the middle Of her nose. A Snowman
of the name of Vanbeck secured the lady
against all corners by marrying her, being
more fortunate in his matrimonial specula-
ton tnan Maphoons eager Italian lover.