The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-16 00:00:00

Anthropological Society.

of this society
wasthhielidoinndatyheeirverOotgs ainmSete.t.linlgartin's-place—Dr.
Cha.rnock in the chair.

Mr. MACKENZIE exhibited some bronze imple-
ments which were reported to have been found in an
urn in making some excavations for the railway near
Hammersmith. He said ho would not vouch for their
authenticity, he only knew that they had been pur-
chased from one of the workmen. On investigation
of the articles—one of which ivas a dagger—there
y suspiciously-look-
azgpemareeddertnhefigdautreeso,faleod the2l.in generalver impression of
the meeting was that the implements were forgeries.
The first paper read was " On the Sequence of the
Phases of Civilisation and Contemporaneous Imple-
ments," by Mr. WESTROPP, who endeavoured to
show that the progress of the civilisation of man
in all ages and all parts of the world were similar,
and that as he must go through the various stages,
of infancy, childhood, youth, and manhood, so he
must go through the stages of flint, stone, bronze,
and iron implements, accompanied by the stages
of primitive, barbarous, hunting, pastoral, and
agricultural life. This view of the successive pro-
gress of the development of civilisatioa-he consi-
dered assisted in proving a unity in the develop,-
ment of man, and an analogy in the endowment of
his natural instincts, and of the suggestive prin-
ciples of all races. These opinions, which were sup-
ported by many illustrations, were combated by
Dr. Hunt, the Rev. Dunbar Heath, Mr. Blewett,
and other gentlemen, and the fact that the Mexi-
cans and North American Indians had no sheep,
and never led a pastoral life, was adduced to show
a break in the supposed sequence, in America at
least. In the course of the discussion the subject
of the domestication of animals was introduced, and
the effect it is supposed to have on their general
physical condition, especially sheep. Dr. Blewett
attributed the difference on the woolly and hairy
covering to the variations of climate, and contended
that the sheep now domesticated iu Europe came.
from Asia, for the wild sheep of 'the northern part
of the world were untameable.

A piper was then read by Mr. FISHER, on " The
Migrations of Man," in which he contended that the
northern nations, being the stronger and more en-
during, had generally subdued and taken possession
of the countries in the south. The reading of the
paper led to an animated discussion, which deviated
from the strict consideration of the paper into the
question of the right to the poisession of land, cis
which subject Mr. Fisher, who is an Irishman, holds
extreme opinions. lie said that front the reign of
Anne four millions of acres, which were common
laud, had been enclosed and converted into parks,
and that if that land had been divided among the
people there would have been no occasion for pour
laws for their support. Dr. Ilyde Clarke denied
that the enclosure of commons had produced the
effects alleged. Dr. Hunt alluded to the division
and appropriation of land in the Shetland Islands
as being most atrocious. Major Owen, Mr. Mac-
kenzie, and other gentlemen joined in the discus-

sion.
The meeting then adjourned,

N :3, MAY 16, 1867.

L A TEST T 7reF
„. LA axis

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

AMERICA.

NEW YORK, May 15, 6 p.m.

A riot has taken place at Mobile, when Mr
Kelley, a member of Congress, was mobbed
Several persons were killed, and order was restored

by the military.
The negroes at Richmond and New Orleans are
manifesting a disorderly spirit.
The Persia takes out nearly $2,000,000.
The Java, Cunard steamer, and the steamer St.
Andrew, from Glasgow, arrived out.