190 Man in the Savage State, 



found about a year ago in the id and of Madngafcar, now 

 exhibited in Toulonfe. He is of the ufual fize, that is to fay* 

 about five feet eight inches in height ; he is pretty flout, and 

 well made in all his parts, and feems to be between twenty 

 and twenty- five. The colour of his fkin is the fame as that 

 of all the Europeans; which gives reafon to think that he had 

 been caft upon the above ill and by fome dorm during his- 

 infancy, and found means to preferve his exillencc by de- 

 vouring whatever he could find ; for he fwallows ftones, iron, 

 and e\erv thing that falls into his hands. He eats raw fiefti 

 with unexampled avidity, flowers, herbs, and even dog;s and 

 cats, dead or alive, if given to him ; but he has a great aver- 

 lion to bread and d relied victuals, and, in general, for every 

 thing baked, boiled, or roafted ; and this he teftifies every 

 time they afe prefented to him, by convulfive movements 

 and tearing his own fkin : in a word, he always appears to 

 be in a Hate of fuffering; his head is in a continual Hate of 

 motion, leaning alternately to either fhoulder ; he twifts his 

 hands, or employs them in pulling the lkin of hisbrCaft with 

 an air of grief truly affe&ing* His manner of fwallowing is 

 alfo worthy of remark : he does not exereife this function 

 like other men, but, having turned the meat for a few mo- 

 ments in his mouth, he throws it violently into his gullet, 

 into which it feems to defcend with pain. He feems not to 

 understand any thing fpoken to him, and only emits a faint 

 cry from his throat when he withes to have food. Yet this 

 being, fo voracious, fo well formed, and who is neither de- 

 ftitute of beard, nor hair on thole parts ufually covered, feems 

 in other refpecls not to be a man ; women have no attrac- 

 tions for him ; and his keeper aflferts that he never could dif- 

 cover the leali movement in his parts of lex. 



Such is the fiate of this unfortunate being, who has no- 

 thing human but the form, and who in judgment and un- 

 derftanding feems inferior to the greater part of animals. It 

 is fuppofed that the Dutch captain in whofe fhip he was 

 brought to Europe, ufed him very ill : he is, indeed, exceed- 

 ingly timid, and feems to have no other fentiments than 

 thofe of hunger and fear. The kali threatening motion of 

 bis keeper frightens him fo much as to produce a total change 

 in his phvfiognomy : he can neither laugh nor weep; and 

 employs the fame cry to exprefs his joy when food is pre- 

 fented to him, his defire when he fees it, and his pain when 

 iiruck. It has hitherto been impoflible to accuftom him to 

 wear clothes; aud, in order that he may be exhibited to the 

 curious^ a ikin is fattened around hisToins: even this cover- 

 ing 



