least since his present master has known him) shewn any particular attention to women; and I am told he never did, except when he was purposely and jocosely forced into an amour.

"He has run away several times since he has been at Broadway, but not since he has been with his present master. He was taken up for a spy in Scotland, in 1745, or 1746; as he was unable to speak, they supposed him obstinate, and threatened him with confinement for contumacy; but a lady, who had seen him in England, told them who he was, on which he was immediately liberated."

Peter became the constant topic of conversation throughout the whole country. Many vague and uncertain conjectures arose from his want of speech; so much so, that the learned differed widely in their opinions on the subject. It was conceived that as he had been sent to school, and much pains taken to instruct him, he ought, unless there was some radical defect in his brain, at least to have learnt to articulate distinctly. But Lord Monboddo observes ;—" The schooling that Peter got was not such as, I think, could have

66

taught him to speak, when he was so far advanced in life, if he had had the best natural parts, and a greater disposition to learn than can be expected in any savage, who, not perceiving the immediate utility of speech, either for sustenance or self-defence, will not be disposed to take so much trouble as is necessary to learn an art so difficult to be acquired, especially at an advanced time of life. And, therefore, I rather wonder, that at a common country school, such as Peter was put to, he has learned so many words, many more than I thought he had known, till I got this information from Mr. Burgess: and it appears, that he has learned also the use of numbers to a certain degree; and his progress in music would appear to me very wonderful, if I did not know that music was much more natural to man than articulation. But even with respect to it, I can have no doubt but that, if he had been taught by such a master as Mr. Braidwood, he would long before now have spoken very perfectly. But, even from Mr. Braidwood, he could not have learned by imitation merely, nor even by precept; for Mr. Braidwood must not only have shewn him, by his own example, the position and configuration of the organs necessary for pronounc

ing certain sounds, but he must have laid hands upon him, as he does upon his deaf scholars, and put his organs in the proper position, at least as many of them as he could reach, in that way."

On the 22d of February, 1765, this singular creature died, supposed to be 72 years of age.