The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-07 00:00:00

AN? HROPOLOGICAL SOCIE? Y.

The first meeting of the session of the Anthropo-
logical Society was held on Tuesday evening, in
their rooms in St. Martin's-place—Dr. Seemaun in
the chair. After the announcement of numerous
presents during the recess, the business commenced
with the reading of a very long report, drawn up by
Mr. Devis, vice-president of the Manchester An-
thropological Society, on the result of the attempts
made at the meeting of the British Association at
Dundee to obtain a distinct recognition of the
science of anthropology in one of the sections of
the association. At the previous meeting of the
British Association at Nottingham the anthropolo-
gists had succeeded, after a considerable struggle,
in being so recognised, but it appeared from the
report that some influential members of that body
conceived that the " science of man," as investi-
gated on the broad principles of the Anthropologi-
cal Society, would be repugnant to the prejudices of
some of the Scotch members, therefore they refused
to appropriate a separate section for the reading of
their papers. The local committee, however, re-
ceived the announcement of this isolation of the
science of anthropology with indignation. An an-
thropological conference was in consequence ap-
pointed for the reading of the papers which it had
been intended to submit to the association, of which
Dr. Hunt was appointed president. This proceed-
ing induced the ' association to offer terms to the
anthropologists, whom it was generally consi-
dered had been unjustly treated, and a re-
entrance into the association was offered,
it being understood that at the next meeting anthro-
pology should resume its place as a department of
the biological section. It was stated that many of
the inhabitants of Dundee highly resented the notion
that they were " miserable bigots," and warmly ex-
pressed the opinion that they were open to free
scientific inquiry, in confirmation of which a society
for the study of anthropology had been formed in
that town.

A paper was then read by Mr. COLLINSON " On
the wild tribes of Nicaragua." Attention had been
drawn to them in consequence of the attempts to
form a railway across the peninsula to connect the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The practicability of
constructing such a railway had been first shown by
Capt. B. Pim, and several scientific men had been
sent out in order to place the practicability of the
scheme beyond doubt, among whom was Mr. Col-
linson, who had made a survey of the country, in
the course of which he became well acquainted with
the inhabitants. He came in contact with several
tribes of Indians, but the Mosquitos were those of
whom he saw the most, and whom he particularly
described. The chief or king of the tribe was a man
of remarkable attainments. He was as well educated
as mod Englishmen, Yraa YerY fond of reading, and

a great admirer of poetry. Nevertheless he possessed
in an eminent degree the dexterityin the use of arms
and the peculiar knowledge valued among his tribe,
over whom he had great power. The natives gene-
rally were, however, of a low order, though many in
the interior were partly civilised and superior to those
on the coast, which he attributed to the influence of
the missionaries in the former case ; and he thought
that communication with the traders on the coast
had been the cause of deteriorating the condition of
the natives. They have a belief in a future life, and
on the death of their chief they bury with him pro-
visions to supily him with food until he reaches the
hunting grounds of the other world. With the pro-
visions is placed a porous bottle containing water, and
when that becomes empty it is supposed the spirit
of the chief has ended his journey. An intoxicat-
ing beverage of a disgusting kind is made by the
women, who chew cassavi and other plants, and
collect the mass in a vessel to ferment. It was stated
that those who become intoxicated by this drink are
afflicted with severe diseases of the skin.

In the discussion of the paper Captain rim dis-
sented from Mr. Collinson as to the influence of
missionaries and traders on the natives, and con-
tended that those on the coast were superior to the
inhabitants of the interior. He admitted, indeed,
that the Moravian missionaries had done much good,
for they commenced by teaching the people useful
arts, and to clothe themselves and be cleanly before
they spoke to them on religious topics ; whereas the
Roman Catholic missionaries attempted only to
make them religious, in which they did not succeed.
In their native state these Indians believe in the
existence of good and evil spirits, but they only wor-
ship the latter, as they were regarded as possessing
superior power.

The CHAIRMAN raised the question as to the origin
of the Mosquito Indians, who were evidently pre-
ceded in the occupation of the country by a superior
race, who have left monuments of their advanced
state of civilisation ; but it was evident from Mr.
Collinson's acoount, that whatever their origin might
have been, they, like all other savage tribes who
come in contact with white men, are rapidly disap-
pearing.

The meeting adjourned to the 19th inst.

COUSTB,Y BIAAKETS.

SALISBURY.-TUESDAY.

A middling attendance of farmers, millers, and dealers
to-day, and a good offer of wheat. Trade was by no
means active, and prices declined is to 2s per qr. There
was a fair show of barley, with only a limited business
doing. For oats quotations were not so high as a week
ago. Beaus and peas easier to buy.
The following are the quotations :—Wheat realised from
43s to 80s ; barley, 34s to 47s ; oats, 25s to 32s ; beans, 46i
to E s; and peas, 40s to 54s per qr. Tares, from 5s 6d to
7s Od per bushel ; Best bread, 17d ; household ditto, 16,1
per 81b loaf. Flour, 52s to Ms per sack.