772 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



reason I took so little interest in the matter. In fact I was told by 

 some Fantees that it is quite possible to produce this deformity. As 

 to there being a tribe of these men, or even a family similarly affected, 

 that I very much doubt, as I think I must have heard something of it. 

 Mr. Allan had seen this man from Kebby, and I believe he is in Akim 

 country. I have seen plenty of tattooing here on the black skin, and 

 as the pigment does not shoTV well, they cause the granulations from 

 the cut surface to rise from half an inch to an inch above the level of 

 the skin. There would be no difficulty in causing a bony growth to 

 spring from the anti'um or from the malar bone by puncturing and 

 applying the stimulants they use in tattooing. I am aware that the 

 Akim country is thoroughly well known to a number of colonial 

 officials, and they have not come across the horned men." 



In the Yerhandlungen of the Berlin Society for Anthropology, 

 Ethnology, and Primitive History for 1877, an account of this man was 

 noticed ; but, fi'om the remarks made by Professor Yirchow, the out- 

 growth seems to have been confounded with one of the commoner 

 pathological conditions of epidermal horn. 



In the course of the last week I received from my friend, Dr. Allan, 

 a second letter, dated from Gambia, jS^ovember 17, 1882, in which he 

 says: — "I enclose you a letter written to me by P. Hughes, Esq., 

 Assistant Colonial Secretary at Sierra Leone. You will see from it 

 that he confirms the certificate given to me by the late Captain 

 O'Brien, and read by you to the Eoyal Irish Academy. 



" llr. Hughes further informed me, that while in Eastern Akim he 

 saw two men with the horns, and the man described by Captain 

 O'Brien. I think the existence of this peculiar family cannot be 

 longer doubted. The horn is, I believe, an anatomical one, and not 

 due to disease. The task of securing one of these skulls is, I am 

 afraid, a hopeless one." 



The letter referred to by Dr. Allan is as follows : — 



' ' SiEEKA Leojte, 

 '' Novemler Uth, 1882, 



"Deak Sir, — In answer to your letter upon the subject of the 

 horned man, described by Captain O'Brien, I beg to inform you that I 

 have seen the man in question, and that Captain O'Brien's description 

 of him is correct. This person was seen by Captain Hay in Akim in 

 1875 or 1876, and that officer made arrangements for sending him to 

 England. I believe that he went on board the mail steamer, and then 

 declined to proceed, and was, of course, allowed to return on shore. 

 He was photographed, and copies can be obtained at Elmina, Gold 

 Coast. 



" When visiting Akim, in 1877, I observed two other men possess- 

 ing, although in a much less degree, the peculiarities described in the 

 certificate furnished to you by Captain O'Brien. 



' ' I remaia yours very truly, 



" Peecival Htjghes, 

 ^^ Assistant Colonial Secretary V 



