Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-10-18
KRAO.
The Hairy Child From the SYanps of
Eastern Laos.

The INJURY Cnit0 from the SwampS Oh
Eastern Laos.
No young lady ''rislng nine' has ever sue
ceeded in creating 80 great d sensation in the
social and scientific world as Krao, the hairy
child, from Eastern Laos-frem the vast swampy
wilderness which extends east of the ''big
river" of Indo-China the Meinam-kOng or Me-
kong, toward the mountain range that bounds
Anam. She is often called the ''missing link, :"
and in a sense the name is true. She exhibits
peculiarities of structure which approach those
possessed by the anthropold apes, and serves to
prove of how little Importance are the structural
distinctions between man and those apes COM
pared with even the differences between the apes
and lower monkeys
The popularity which Is most talked about is
the abundance of hair upon the body and limbs
This is not the cOlOrless down to be found in
young white children, but dark hair. 1t Is ex-
peeted to develop much more with age, for in
her mother. who was retained by the king
of Laos after the family was captured, the feat
ures are almost concealed by hair. There is
nothing very strange about the presence Of hair
Many OF us have considerable growth upon
the limbs and chest, yet, 80 far as it goes, it
points back to the time when the entire human
race was living, as the race of Krao is now, I'M
clothed IN the forest, with nothing to Obstruct
that growth of hair which is common to all
mammala. The noticeable peculiarities of her
physiOgnOmy are the great breadth of the face
across the cheeks below the cheek bones, and
the peculiar flatness of her nose. The width Of
the face is partly owing to that of the jaws and
mouth, bat principally to the size of the cheeks
themselves, which are very ieshy, and give
more room for slowing away candy and nuts
than is possessed by the average small child. 1t
appears to be herhabit to use her cheeks In this
manner to great extent and this habit Is said
to be common among her race. The nasal bones
are normal, but the cartilage which causes
our noses to project appears to be wholly want
ing, as nothing can be felt but soft flesh. She
can use her thumbs like any other child. but
usually lays hold of a small object by hooking
her other four fingers around 1t. Her hand can
be bent backwards, also the fingers and thumb
can be bent directly back and made to touch
the back of her hand. This capability Is natural,
not acquired. The cartilage OF the ears is not
fully developed. as the lower part of the conch
is soft and tieshy. She has a pair of ribs more
than is usual in human beings, the number
0hirteen) agreeing with that present in the
gorilla and chimpanzee. This is also said to be
characteristic of the race to which she belongs.
The skull is excessively brachycephalic, that is
to say, its width is more nearly equal to its
length than in the most round-headed of eau
casian children The back of the head seems
flat because of the great development of the
spinOus processes of the vertebre of the neck.
This seems an ape-ike character, but can be ex-
planned in the Laslarckian manner, viz,
by reference to the arboreal habits COM
mon 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 to have either been retained or re-
acquired. There is nothing about the proper
lions of her body or limbs that is not entirely
human-if the arm and leg are longer from the
elbow and knee than is usual the difference is
too slight to be noticeable. Her toes are very
supple-but our own toes might be supple If we
did not them in leather hOYQa For no
rest. her eyes are black and bright, her manners
lively and playful, and she has already given
proof of considerable intelligence, for she can
speak German and English, and can read and
write: 1t must beremembereft that in the mat
ter Of education she has great advantages over
many white children as two peope-Professor
Shelly and her governess, the former master of
several languages-are devoted to teaching her.
Professor Shellytels an interesting story of
his travelsin quest Of her, commissioned by his
uncle, Mr.. Farini lessee of the Westminster
Aquarium, England. The King Of Laos is sup
posed to be tributary to the King of Siam, who,
induced by relative who has received a Euro
pean education. gave Carl Book and Professor
Shelly an escort of soldiers, elephants and
letters to the King of Laos. Members of the
tribe to which Krao belongs have resided at
the Court of Burmah for three generations, and
Mr.. Farini unable to procure Burmese eX-
ample, trusted that an example might be taken
in its native country. While the travellers were
sCh dI AieuS-kHeuB the SOluleIS came upon q
family Gather, mother and child) and took them
all. But 1t was not So easy to get them out of
the country. The Buddhist priests interdicted
this. Finally, as compromise, and to get
clear Of the honorable confinement they had to
experience, our travellers left the mother with
the Laotian prince. Before reaching Bangkok
the father and several soldiers persisted Of
cholera. at Bangkok the Buddhist priests
again appealed to the fanatic!sm of the people,
and it was only by formally adopting Krao that
Professor Shelly was finally able to take her out
OF the country.
At first KraO was very disconsolate and SEEM
ingly unintelligent doing nothing but eat and
crouch by the fire. A photograph taken OF her
at that date shows creature without any OF
the vivacity of the Krao of to-day.
On one occasion some thirty huts Of Krao's
people were seen and a hundred or so Of the
tribe were gathered together engaged in fishing,
for which purpose they make net Of bark.
Their huts are simply nests of nterlaced branches
In the trees well out of reach of water, their
only weapon is stick. The Laotians state that
they are ignorant of the use of fire, and that
their language consists only of some 800 mono
syllables. More precise details of the race are
at present lacking, but Prof Shelly declares his
determination to go again in order to learn
more oft.