The Express.
London, England, 1861-09-11 00:00:00

GEOGDAPHY AND ETHNOLOGY.

This section, which meets in the large hall of the Me-
chanics' Institution, was exceedingly crowded.
Sir E. BIMMDCR read a paper, entitled " Remarks on
the Olacial Movements noticed in the Vicinity of Mount
St. Elias, on the Western Croat of North America."
M. Dr CHAILLt; read a paper " tlu the people of Western
Equatorial Africa," of which the following is an abstract
He doubted whether there was another district of the same
size holding such a number or so many varieties of tribes,
each thinking itself a separate nation and possessing a dis-
tinct name, though malty spook the mime language or dialect.
The villages of uto4 of them tribes are ititermingleel with
each other, there hosing no special landmarks. People squat
or settle where they please, this freedom of choice being
owing to the vast extent of unoccupied territory. The
cannibals are the tallest end handsomest of these tribes,
many are of athletic forms, in feet nuegeificeut savages.
Rome, near the equator, at the headwaters of the Ca-
hoon river, are of less doe appearance and small stature.
They even eat the dead. Except these munitels the other
tribes seem to be intermediate in stature, between the tall
and the slim Yslop sad other tribes of North Africa aud
the mall sized men of the Congo, and of the more
southern tribes of that continent, who are small and
ugly, except the Kaffir", who are tall, handsome
negroes. The countries be has visited do not contain
what we should all blacks except the Ashur. tribe. Ap-
parently the negrom who tuhabit, a damp sad mois,t country,
and especially if mountainous, are less black, though pos.
messing all the negro features, than those belonging to an
open country with a dry atmosphere. Amongst the ottani-
bels, especially the Apings. he fatted peewits almost like
mulattos. Albinos are rather common. The cannibals are
among the best blacksmiths of Africa; working iron beau-
tifully, makinc. knives, spears, axes, and hammers. Man♦
of their warlike instruments are gad sad exoeediugly well
shaped. The tribes lie visited south of Om equator posses.
a loom and weave the fibres of a species of Film into cloth
of coesidereble oneness and tenacity. The negroes have an
imaginative mind, are astute speakers, sharp traders. great
liars, bare got great powers of dissimulation, end are far
from Wog in may moppets the stupid people
they are believed to he. Each tribe is divided
lido ohms, the children helot:10o( mostly to
the clan of the mother, and these are not allowed
to marry among themselves, however removed in degree
their connexion may be. But there is no objection to. pos-
sessing a father's ore brother's wife. The regulations seem
to have a healthful effect, from the scarcity of the deformed,
blind, or cripples. The habits, however, are otherwise
• filthy, leading to scrofula. ace. Their religions outlives are
'of the vaguest and inmost. Superstition seems to have run
. wild. Each class sad bead of a family
.tmeaesses ea idol,
which it is believed will ward off evil and foretell 'Yenta.
SECTION 9.—MECHANICAL SCIENCE.
COTTON AND COTTON CLIANING.

In this settioe Yr. D. atAsowset rood is paw so recast

(TWOPENCE

improvements in cottou gins, which he illustrited by refer-
ence to • number of models.
MUM
pa:tar.
OTn. (theßotreeTENtANArra ng epmr
eesnitdsenf
or o t
ef
its);
us e
ht
g) , re fd Fires."
his observed that the attention of the public had recently
been drawn to the subject iu consequence of the serious con-
flagrations which had taken place in London and elsewhere.
Nothing could be much worse than the preparation for the
extinction of fires which existed 15 years ago throughout the
country; and nothing could be much worse than the procam
!ions Ulan in London. In Manchester, Glasgow and
scene other large towns where there was an abundant
,imiply of water, the management was taken into the bands
of the corporation who made the beet poasible provision in
their power for the extinction of fires. In London the fire
engines were maintained and the fire brigade were paid
by contributiocs from the various fire offices, and nolesen
building was insured in some of the offices which contri-
buted to the expense it was not the intermit of the firemen
to extinguish a fire. This was clearly • palpable error I.
the arrangement of such matters, and whelk the preserva-
tion of immense swage* of properly was left to chance it
was a great grievance, which ought not longer to be allowed
to exist. Ifr. B• am then described a very simple ar-
rangement in use is Manchester, consisting of a hall barrel
communicating with the wain pipes, to which proper fitting
ban could be attached in • very few momenta, thus
avoiding the delay caused bi- the employment of engines.
The greatest requisites werehigh presenre; lute rani} pipe.,
ample communication with the main pipet; and
• plentiful supply of water. These ought also
to be en of brigade, the men composing it
being stationed at short &statics; from each ether, so•that •
their services might be called into sequisition at the shortest
aches. Such • syetem would pay for itself inthe reduction
of the duty on fire insurance 1 for where the risk Was leis
the cost would be litas also, and the public, en whim the •
coat of maintainiug the briLsele fell, would benefit by the
redaction in their fire neuiraaces.

Sicastric of Bodin, rend a paper Ballarat.
and Firs Alarms, from which it appeared than. Berlin is
divided into a number el circular dieiricts (eack•of which
contains a number of Brun stations), communicating with a
central station, from Maas information is instantly womayint
to all the Motions in any distrait when a tire mar Lava •
broken out, and within a wry few minutes all the vaginas
ars on lb. spot and reedy far actual use.