175 
a Lad horn deaf and blind in Shetland. 
of his repose, when his parents were naturally very unwilling 
that he should be disturbed. 
It may be here noticed, that David’s interval of time set apart 
for sleep, is never regular; it is very indeterminate in length, 
and consequently it may so happen, that either the day or the 
night may constitute his hours of vigilance. This circumstance 
affords an additional proof, how little David’s habits have been 
under the control of proper tuition. 
The sense of taste has, from the scanty means of David 
Tate’s parents, had little opportunity of being gratified by varied 
objects. All I could learn on this subject was, that, in prefe- 
rence to fish, he chiefly lives on meal pottage. He is always 
fed by his mother with a spoon. 
Pauca de appetitu venereo in hoc adolescente manifesto res- 
tant. Hanc enim qusestionem, vir illustrissimus Dugaldus 
Stewart, in Jacobo Mitchell, sic defendit: Neque inutile fo- 
ret, neque ab honestissima sapientia alienum, novisse quo mo- 
do hie miserandus, jam puber factus, se habuerit quoad ad res 
venereas.” Davidis Tate seminudum corpus hanc propen sion- 
em detegendi facultates quidem copiosissimas prasstat. Geni- 
talia ipsa solito ampliora videbantur. Mater ejus (nam pater 
piscatu occupatus domo longe abfuit) mihi ad rogata respon- 
dere parum haesitavit. In memoriam revocandum est, Davi- 
dem semper in casulas aream suo more sedere assuetum esse. 
Saepe ideo evenit, ut crura muliercularum familiariter domum 
invisentium, pueri omnia contrectantis, digitis occurrerent. Ta-. 
libus igitur exemplis, mater conhtetur se saepius admiratam 
esse, qua cupiditate manus ejus muliebribus cruribus adhaere- 
rent, et quanta maxima celeritate, per summam omnem cutem 
baud vestimentis earundem contectam, tactuique ideo subjec- 
tam, digiti aberrarent. Interea in miseri corpore, notae veneris 
mare desiderata (scilicet priapismus) in oculos parentis vel ad- 
stantium sese manifestas darent. Has autem res naturam ap- 
petitus venerei insitam dare comprobare viderentur. 
Oporteat quoque hoc in loco adjicere, ut in dejectionibus 
alvi vel vesicae, nullo pudoris sensu hie miserandus cohibeatur ; 
neque unquam his excernendis locum idoneum ut seligeret do- 
€eri potuit. 
