When handled or nursed, it was very quiet and contented, but when
laid down by itself would invariably cry; and for the first few
nights was very restless and noisy. I fitted up a little box for
a cradle, with a soft mat for it to lie upon, which was changed
and washed everyday; and I soon found it necessary to wash the
little Mias as well. After I had done so a few times, it came to
like the operation, and as soon as it was dirty would begin
crying and not leave off until I took it out and carried it to
the spout, when it immediately became quiet, although it would
wince a little at the first rush of the cold water and make
ridiculously wry faces while the stream was running over its
head. It enjoyed the wiping and rubbing dry amazingly, and when I
brushed its hair seemed to be perfectly happy, lying quite still
with its arms and legs stretched out while I thoroughly brushed
the long hair of its back and arms. For the first few days it
clung desperately with all four hands to whatever it could lay
hold of, and I had to be careful to keep my beard out of its way,
as its fingers clutched hold of hair more tenaciously than
anything else, and it was impossible to free myself without
assistance. When restless, it would struggle about with its hands
up in the air trying to find something to take hold of, and, when
it had got a bit of stick or rag in two or three of its hands,
seemed quite happy. For want of something else, it would often
seize its own feet, and after a time it would constantly cross
its arms and grasp with each hand the long hair that grew just
below the opposite shoulder. The great tenacity of its grasp soon
diminished, and I was obliged to invent some means to give it
exercise and strengthen its limbs. For this purpose I made a
short ladder of three or four rounds, on which I put it to hang
for a quarter of an hour at a time. At first it seemed much