The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-10-22
KRAO.
THE HAIRY CHILD FROM THE swAMPs
OF EASTERN LAOS.

sensation in the social and scientifi
world as Krao. the hairy child, from
Eastern Laos-from the vast swamp,
wilderness which extends east of To
"big river" of Indo-China, the Mel
nam-kong or Mekong, toward tn
mountain range that bounds Anam
She is often called the missing link
and in a sense the name Is true
She exhibits peculiarities Of struc
ture which approach those possess
ed by the anthropoid apes, ant
serves to prove of how little impor
taace are the structural distinction
between man and those apes com
pared with even the difference
between the apes and lower mon
KEYS.
The popularity which is mos
talked about is the abundance o
hair upon the body and limbs. Thi
is not the colorless down TO be fount
in Young white children, but darl
hair. IL is expected to develol
much more with age, for in he
mother, who was retained by tn
king of Laos after the family wa
captured, the features are almos
concealed by hair. There is moth
ing very strange about the presenc
of hair. Many of US have consid
erable growth upon the limbs anC
chest, yet, so far as il goes, it point
back to the time when the entir'
human race was living, as the rae
of Krao is now, unclothed in th'
forest with nothing to obstruct tha
growth of hair which is common t
all mammilia. The noticeable pc
culiarities of her physiognomy ar
the great breadths of the face across
the cheeks below the cheek bones
and the peculiar hatness Of her nose
The width of the face is partly ow
ing to that of the Jaws and mouth
but principally to the size Of th'
cheeks themselves, which are very
fieshy, and give more room for stow
ing away candy and nuts than ]:
possessed by the average small child
1t appears to be her habit to use he
cheeks in this manner TO great ex
tent. and this habit is said to bt
coRamon among her race. The ma
sal bones are normal, but the carti
lege which causes our noses to pro-
iect appears to be wholly wanting
as nothing can be felt but soft flesh
She can use her thumbs like any
other child, but usually lays hold o
a small object by hooking her othel
four fingers around it. Her hanC
can be bent backwards, also the fin
gers and thumb can be bent direct
ly back and made to touch the back
of her hand. This capability is nat
ural, not acquired. The cartilage o.
the ears is not fully developed, as
the lower part Of the conch is sofI
and fieshy. She has q pair of rib:
more than is usual in human beings
the number (thirteen) agreeing with
that present in the gorilla and chin
panzee. This is also said to be char.
acteristic OF the race TO which she
belongs. The skull is excessively
brachy-cephalic, that is to say, It's
width is more nearly equal to its
length than in the most round-head.
ed of Caucasian children. The back
of the head seems fiat because of the
great development of the spinou:
processes of the vertebrae of the
neck. This seems an ape-like char.
acter, but can be explained in the
Lamarckian manner, viz. by refer
ence to the arboreal habits common
to her race and to the apes. There
is little doubt that man was once an
arboreal animal, and in Krao and
her tribe the arboreal habits seem 10
have either been retained or re-ac-
quired. There is nothing about the
proportions of her body or limbs
that is not entirely human-if the
arm and leg are longer from the el-
bow and knee than is usual, the diff
ference is too slight to be noticeable.
Her toes are very supple-but our
own toes might be supple if we did
not encase them in leather boxes.
For the rest, her eyes are black and
bright, her manners lively and play
ful, and she has already given proof
of considerable intelligence, for she
can speak German and English, and
can read and write. 1t must be re-
membered that in the matter of ed.
ucation she has great advantages
over many white children, as two
people-Professor Shelly and her
governess, the former master of sew
eral languages-are devoted to teach
ing her
Professor Shelly tells an interest.
ing story of his travels in quest ol
her, commissioned by his uncle, Mr.
Earini, lessee of the Westminster
Aquarium, England. The King oi
Laos is supposed to be tributary to
thee King of Siam. who, induced by
a relative who has received a Euro.
pean education, gave Carl Book and
Professor Shelly an escort of soldiers
elephants and letters to the King o.
Laos. Members of the tribe tC
which Krao belongs have resided al
the court of Burmah for three gener
ations, and Mr.. Farini, unable tC
procure a Burmese example. trusted
that an example might be taken il
its native country. While the trav
elers were sick at Xieng-kheng. th'
soldiers came upon family Gather
mother and child, and took then
all. But 1t was not so easy to ge
them out of the country. Tn,
Buddhist priests interdicted this
Finally, as a compromise, and TO ge
clear of the honorable confinement
they had to experience, our traveller
left the mother with the Laotlar
Prince. Before reaching Bangkol
the Buddhist priests again appealed
TO the fanaticism OF the people, ant
it was only by formally adoptin,
Kroa that Professor Sicily was final
ly able to take her out of the coun
try.
At first krao was very disconso
late and seemingly unintelligent, DO
ing nothing but eat and crooch b.
the fire. A photograph taken of he
at that date shows creature withou
any of the vivacity of the Krao of to
day.