The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-04-27
The WOlf-Children OF India.

In November, lOiz, saw AT SeCun-
dra, near Agra, in northern India, a
boy that had been brought up among
wolves. published an account of his
appearance at the time, and some fur
Their facts which / have lately learned
concerning him will also be of interest.
He was found in 1867. Some men,
passing through an unfrequented jun
gle, suddenly came upon child appar-
emily five or six years old, without
clothes and running upon his hands
and feet. They tried to catch him but
he disappeared in large hole which
was evidently the lair of some wild
beast. Unable to unearth him by
digging and not daring to go into the
hole themselves, they reported the fact
to the magistrate of the district, who
directed them to start a fire at the
mouth of the den and smoke out its in
mates of whatever sort they might be.
The fire was started, when presently
large she wolf dashed out of the hole,
scattering the fire and speeding away
for safety. She was soon followed by
the boy whom the men had seen be-
fore, and whom they now caught with
difficulty. He was evidently child of
human parentage, but with the appe-
tite and ways of wolf. He could not
walk erect, he was without clothes, he
had no language but whine, he would
eat nothing but raw flesh, and would
lap his drink like a wolf. Put into an
Enclosure, he would lie in corner dur
ing the day and at night would prowl
about, picking up bones and ravenously
gnawing them.
After keeping him awhile the magis-
trate brought him to an orphanage at
Secundra, under the care of the church
missionary society, where he was
kindly received and cared for, and
where he has since been an object of
unceasing wonder to the many who
have seen him there. He has been
taught to walk erect-though he does
this awkwardly-to wear clothes, to
drink like human being and to use
fork and spoon. He has lost his appe-
tite for raw flesh and has no longer any
disposition to escape. He has also
been taught to do little work, but he
does not like to work. He has become
wholly inoffensive and mingles freely
with the children, among whom he has
his favorites. He evidently hears well
and understands many things which
are told him, but he has never uttered
word or shown any wish to speak,
though many efforts have been made to
teach him articulation.
He is now, as far as can be JUDGED,
about thirty years of age. His forehead
is low but his features are regular, and
his eyes, though wild and restless, have
not an idiotic look. His jaws do not
protrude, and his teeth are regular and
human. His arms, legs and body diff
fer from those of an ordinary human
being only so far as incident to his hab-
its of locomotion when he was first
found. How far he has ever become
conscious of moral or religious truth it
is impossible to say. The nearest ap-
proach he has shown to something like
an apprehension of an unseen world
was in connection with the death of one
who had cared for him, and of whom he
was very fond. AT the funeral, as the
body was lowered into the grave, the
poor boy looked wistfully at the coffin
and then at the bystanders, evidently
wondering what it all meant By ges-
lures and other signs, by feigning to be
sick and dying, and then pointing
downward and upward, the bystanders
seemed to awaken in him some strange
thought of something which could not
be seen, and afterward, when sick him
self, he lay down and closed his eyes
and pointed to earth and sky.
From friend in India who had re-
Gently seen him, learn that he is still
living at the orphanage where he was
first taken, and in a report of the or
phanage, which has lately come into
my hands, l find also the statement
that three other children-two boys and
girl-found under similar circum-
stances and all with similar character
istics-have been brought to the insti-
tuition, though none of these have lived
longer than few months after their
capture. There are also other well
authenticated instances of a similar
sort. These strange stories awaken
many inquiries which are not easily
answered. We find no instances yet OF
the wolf evolving itself into the human
but here we have the human easily los
ing its most essential characteristics
and taking on the type of the wolf,