The Express.
London, England, 1852-09-07 00:00:00

BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOIL THE ADVANCE-
MENT OF SCIENCE.

BELFAST, Saterite EVENING.
-
The several sections of the Association met to-dav
at the usual hour, and the proccedin;s appeared to excite
isadisainiel st interest.
SECTION II (GEOGRAPHY AND ETHNOLMIT).
Colonel Chesty presided in this section, and the follow-
in were the principal subjects discussed :
The Iles. Dr. liincks read • paper eabibiting greet re-
orb and learniag, on the site of certain ancient seism
The reverend lecturer referred to several Assyrian'
none copies of which be exhibited and explained. VC
interpreted the creamers, be understood theta le r-
ead the receipt of tribute of silver, salt, amps, amid
sum ; and from the accompanying illastratignehe tsasadtbe
existence of such mines in a country north of Tares, and
also in other districts of Asia Minor, bordering se the Per-
sian Onif.
Mr. Pierre Ichibatchet, who had travelled in the MMtrf
alluded to, being requested by the president to aeNaai
ate any information which might throw light upon the ia-
quince of the Rev. Dr. Mixer, in reply to the lecturer,
stated that rich mines of salt, copper, and lead existed in
many parts of Asia Minor, about Armenia, which, if worked
by Foropear., would be very productive, but were now
explored eon bad principles. Ile described the position
sail circumstances connected with some of the places, and
stated that the Petted= government had also ant out
scientific gentlemen to search for iron in the country.
Dr. Honks then entered into critical investigations of
some of the names mentioned in Scripture, and
gave it as his opinion that the Israelites crossed
the Red Sea not at the place usually supposed,
close to Sues, but lower down, at the open see,
which would bear out wore fully the Mosaic description.
Some conversation ensued upon the subject of the
papers, and the thanks of the section were given to Dr.
Minks.
Mr. John Grattan then submitted • collection of crania
and casts at skulls, collected principally from the round
towers of Ireland, and which he thought permed local
and metierl arsociations which rendered them worthy of
COllirith ration. Having adverted to ezploratioas made by
binned' end ethers in the nand towers of Ardmore, Cloys',
Driuebur, and other places, in ten of which human re-
mann, and in eleven the crania which he exhibited were
ford, invariably under a coating of lime under the
floor, and in some cases enclosed in chambers of Neese
and which proved to be contemporaneous with the
erection of the towers, the lecturer observed that several
freatinnen, on hearing ef the inquires of himself aad those
who accompanied kir seat them numerous specimens. He
thea directed attention te the willaction of crania which
were ranged in groups open the table, gad circulated
draw iDel of them throughout the room. The first question
to be considered. he said, respecting theta, was then
chronological orris, which he divided into four periods—
the pre-historic, remote historic, Anglo-lrisb, and modern.
The first were sound coder circumstances which did sot
give them any means of tieing their date. Those found in
the round towers must be referred to the second slam,
and Dr. Petrie had assigned the period of those structures
se from the filth to the thirteenth centuries. Drumboit,
in the county Down, being mentioned by him as an
illustration u( one of the oldest. He Hied Clones and
Armoy st shout the issue period, end DMltlallo was also of
very 11113Clt lit origin, io that the specimens from those pleas
were eleven ur tut lee hundred years old. Two crania from
Dominant and ttc Castle of Beirut were of a mess most
date, a• was as the remaining group. Having eaplaird
the places from which each of the classes bad been ob.
taloa:, the lecturer observed that the sadiron raid set
fail to he struck with the extraordinary &Swear of ear
figuration presented in those of the same section; and, on
the nth, r band, the remarkable resemblance between those
of different Frieda. He then compared the sorrel
types, sad pointed oat their peculiarities of dimension
and contour; in one come the crania= of a modern
Highlander being found exactly similar to one of the
specimens 1,290 years old ; and in other comparing I
various degrees of resemblance being established Dr!
twe, a the ancient and modern types, the former, however.
(enmity appearing to have mote perfect mad symmetrical
configuration. He traced the Teutonic, Danish, and other
characteristics of the specimens which, he said, Married
the fact of • great variety of the human family having
existed in this country, and also the remarkable treaty
with which the various types had through all ages preserved
their identity. After offers* some narks upon the ire-
penance of there relics of antiquity, he observed that the
ear circumstance of the dimmer of • Celtic cranium ia the
tower of Drunshoe, contemporaneous with the foundation of
the structure, was, of itself, sufficient to sabyeet the theory
which, before Dr. Petrie 's work, prevailed an le the very
remota origin of these towers. Althengh, however, r
Dr. Petrie had shown, those buildings were not founded
for the purpose of serving as places of interment, Tit be
.la 4 thought that gentleman was premature in condemning the
notion that they were occasionally and designedly e ed
as places of sepulture. His own impression win,
' although not built for that particular bpartsne4ey were
so seed, bet only at an early ergs of their end kr
some perms of conaidention—probahly the me of
the fulmars. la those crania, theta, they nit
that they had the relics of the magmata of r=6611,5:
the anistruction of an elaborate atone coffin, in which scone
of the remains were found, mast have been fee a prnon of
some etioseqsence. Having read souse Irish neordshearing
on dr interment of distinguished chieftains, Mr. Grattan, in
conclusion, commended the subject to the attention of the
society.
Colonel Chesney observed, that he had originally thought
the Irish round towers, from having observed similar
structures in Penis, Andalusia, and also in Barbary, were
of eastern origin ; but from his own examination of them;
and reading the work of Dr. Petrie, be was now of opinion
that, although they belonged to Christianity, the idea of their
architecture was first taken from the eastern minarets, and
applied to Christian purposes.
Mr. Coll expressed his great gratifieation at the interest-
ing paper which had been read. He recommended the
study of phrenology, for the purpose of having a convenient
mode of describing the cranium, and also urged the esta-
blishment of a public institution for the collection of such
relics, end of a society for the publication of complete draw.
ings of them.
Ur. Sall and other gentlemen engaged in conversation
upon this subject.
A gentleman present then exhibited the shall of the
celebrated Irish bard, Carolan, which had bona sent to
him that morning; and also mentioned that thaw was la
the Belfast MUM= a very remarkable collection of Irish
relies.
The Earl of Mayo, having heard the intoreatiag paper
of Mr. Grattan, and having resided so leag In Intend,
wished to ask one or two questions reopmtlas the round
towers. He desired to know why we tbs des of the
round tower so high up that so mac nimbi maw t ,
(Laughter.)
Mr. Grattan said he would give Dr. Petrie's au=
for stating that it sees designedly situate where
"ileat enter.
v. Dr. Smith observed that that question had
bees Memesed before, and the solution offered was in-
genie* Nth append to hies probably true. As they
were giliossotsmarity, and also belfries, which it was as-
to assent Waders, it was suggested that thodose
was at a mad eat elevation to allow a ladder to be
draws up.
The Karl of Urge impaired was there &Bremen for the
fact of some char& or place of worship being generally
near the mend towers?
Mr. Grattan replied that he could not say.
The Rev. Dr. Hiner observed that it was explained by
the theory now generally understood that the towers were
for belfries, and ar for preserving the sacred things of
the church.
Mr. Coll said, altheragh the question was not quite rele-
vant, be was collecting information respecting 'ripsaw, and
to wished know were there any in this country .
The Earl of Mayo and other gentlemen said that there
were not.
Mr. Coll ob;erved that he had seen some gypsies in Tnn-
sylvania who had light hair and light isomplexions—a
Curio= cirminiatree, he 1110114. SA is England and other
places where they existed t had dark hair and ors.
plexions.
Atter some further conversation of a general character'
the thanks of the section were gives to Mr. Grattan for
his paper.
A paper on the distribution of striael life is the Arctic
region. was then read by A. Petermann, Esc, , F.R.G.S.,
and the section rose shortly before three o'clock.

WILLI/JI JACKSON Fla M.P. tor Newcastle-
inder-lase. aesearealeti by Km, sae arrived is this
eity. They 'reseed the Atlantis fa the ANN*. Mr.
Archibald, who las deo rhea as wive part is Nord to
the British North Asterism =:711 who way sheet*
be deemed the latherthe ykog
doves the .all tom the Mods to lbe TrUt et Ker British '
territory, le she riew i Qualm. Re la already Irsvmed
the roots hes Maim se ter es Derek Mr. Archibald is
himself deseraded hoes se
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