The record-union., 1898-01-16
STORIES WHICH TRAVELLERS
HAVE RELATED.
A Few of the Most Authentic
Cases on Record
to Date.

civilization, and ranging at large With
out clothes, language, or morailty,
demonstrates how much one owes TO
early education, and how nearly We are
allied TO our poor relations with tails,
from which science darkly hints we
sprang in the past. Byron declared
that men became wolves on very slight
occasions: and Captain Nicholetis story
anant the child who, like RomuluS and
Rer,1us was reared upon VOLTS milk,
and nursed through a large portion of
his INFANCY by this unSociable animal,
gives a certain weight to the poets re-
mark
The Captain tells us that, when he
was with his regiment in India, he
happened one day to be out shooting,
and saw a wolf bring her cubs down
TO the river to drink. Among them he
spied human child, which he eventu-
ally succeeded in capturing and carry
ing home to his quarters. 1t transpired
that this child was the son of Hindu
parents, but in an unlucky hour had
been captured by the she wolf and car
ried off to the woods. We are not told
how this particular Hindu child was
ear marked, nor is any suggestion Of
fered as to why the wolf did not de-
YOUR him on the spot, rather than adopt
him and bring him up with her cubs.
However this may be, Captain Nicholet
brought this child once more under the
influence of man, and set about civiliZ-
ing him at once. His favorite diet, as
one would expect was raw meat and
bones, upon which he fed with great
avidity, tearing the flesh with his teeth,
crIlnr hing IN the bonaS rp11ph altar RI Ia
fashion of an ordinary dog
He appears to have entertained a
great objection to the society of man,
but his Partially to all kinds of ami
mails was marked, and he struck up so
fast a friendship with a puppy that he
even allowed it to eat out of the same
basin with himself On the Captain
discovering that the wild child was
no match for the dog at the dinner
table, but stood fair chance of be-
ing starved through the greediness of
his four-footed mess mate, he shot the
dog in the boys presence. This seemed
to have no outward effect on the wild
young Hindu. who at once returned
to his dish, perhaps not altogether sor-
~ that his canine friend was no longer
present to share the repast To the
conventional garments of civilization he
is said to have shown a marked aver
sion. If he was dressed in a suit of
dittos, and then left by himself even
for few minutes. he invariably tore
them of, and on the return of his bene-
factors they found the clothes scattered
IN all parts of the room, and the child
sitting among the fragments in puris
naturalibuS. He was according to
the Captains account never known to
speak, save once, and that was shortly
before his death, which occurred a few
months after his capture A few DAYS
before he died, a great change came
over him: he allowed his friends to
dress him, behaving the while with all
docility, and startled his attendant by
complaining, presumably in Hindustani.
of severe pain which he felt in his
head.
Among the inmates of Count Van
ReclSe'S asylum was the idiot child of a
farmer, who not unfittingly may be
placed on the list of wild children. This
child, who appears to have been shame
fully neglected by his parents, had
been habitually lodged in a pigstve
with SOW and her litter. Like the
puppy and Captain Nicholet's wild bow
the SOW and the idiot at once became
friends. Together with the little pigs
this child was daily seen sharing the
maternal milk; while like his porcine
playmates he adopted the plan of walk
ing on all fours. Moreover. he fed ont
of the same trough with the SOW. and
in fact. became so like his foster
mother that if by any chance he were
annoyed he would instantly starr
grunting.
Wild girls as we'll as wild bows have
occasionally been met with. In 1873 two
female children, of about the ages of
10 and II respectively, We're found near
pond at chalons. Their clothes con-
sisted of skins. which they had some
how placed together. OF these two wild
girls one managed to escape. bur the
other was captured and conveyed to
the house of Viscomte d'Epinay.
Though unable to speak, she made IN
for this by necessarily screaming. while
she exhibited such agility and strength
that ii took several men to hold her
SO swift of foot was she, that in a race
which she subsequently ran with the
Queen of Poland's feetest horse. she
outdistanced ii with ease In mental
capacity she was not altogether want
ing, and would in all probability have
soon learned to speak, but she died
within six months of her capture Sim
Tar to the above case is that of the girl
who was found near Frauenmark early
in the last century. One winter
morning so runs the account a party of
Hungarians who Were out shooting came
across some footprints in the snow.
Following the tracks they arrived at a
cave, in which they found girl naked
and unashamed." As she only survived
her capture two or three days, but little
is known about her. save that she was
unable TO speak and was probably il
years old
Probably the most authentic account
OF wild child is that vouched for by NJ.
lizard This child was found in Avig-
non in IT'S by some sportsmen, and
was brought to NJ. lizards asylum in
Paris. When found. he was without
clothes, and though the thermometer
registered several degrees of frost. he
was rolling in the snow, and apparently
enjoying the pastime. His body was
covered with scratches and bites, and
ii was presumed that he had lately been
engaged in other than an amicable dis
cussion with some other denizen OF the
forest. Unable to speak, he was to all
intents and purposes an animal, but
how he came into this deplorable condi-
ton IL is impossible to say. On his ar
rival in Paris NJ. lizard, the Superintend-
ent of deaf and dumb asylum, took
him in hand and endeavored 10 teach
him language. Whenever any one en-
tered thereon in which he was, the child
made toward them on ali fours and
hoir i ike