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with him that the Wadi el-Ithm is the valley that the Israelites were obliged to traverse in order to get up out of the Arabah valley when they were forced to return southward again after being refused passage by the King of Moab. That was the only valley by which they could ascend to the tableland of Edom, and it is not to be wondered at that in consequence of that journey it is stated that the people were seriously discouraged by the length of the way. It is a dry valley under an almost tropical sun and must have been very trying to the large multitude of men, women, and children. But with regard to the route by which the Israelites proposed to traverse Edom. I think our party explored what we thought to be the very "king's highway" by which the Israelites might have passed up from the Arabah valley to the tableland of Edom. This valley lies to the north of Petra. They had, I think, a well trodden road passing up towards the tableland and the one used at the present day, I believe, by the pilgrims going from Palestine to Mecca.

Then I would refer to one other point, and that is the lecturer mentioned that on the tableland of Edom and Moab the cold is very intense in winter. When we were there in the middle of winter we saw the whole country forming the tableland covered with deep snow, and we found Western Palestine covered deeply with snow. But when we were descending from the valley of the Arabah into the great depression of the Ghor, as it is called, in which the Dead Sea lies, we were surprised to see the whole of the plain occupied by the tents of the Bedawin Arabs. They had come down from the pasturages of Edom and Moab to the warm climate bordering the Dead Sea, where they pastured all their flocks and herds in the cold part of the year; and really it is a wonderful natural provision by which these Arabs are enabled to pass through the severe climate of the winter months. It was a very pretty sight that was presented to us. Children came up from the camping-ground and arranged themselves in line along our pathway as we descended on our camels and saluted us in a most cordial and friendly manner.

I am sure we are all gratified to learn that there is a prospect of another Moabite stone, or something of the kind, when the country may be more accessible and opportunity is given to travellers to examine it more fully.

[After some further discussion, in which the Rev. F. A. Walker, D.D., and Mr. Martin Rouse took part, the lecturer briefly replied, and the proceedings terminated.]

POSTSCRIPT.-In answer to a question put by Canon Girdlestone (see above) in reference to the possibility of cultivating the land of the Arabian Desert lying between Moab and the Euphrates, Sir Charles Wilson writes, "I do not know the country between Moab and the Euphrates, but should say, from all that I bave heard of it, that it is not cultivable excepting perhaps a few patches, here and there, in hollows which may occasionally produce a scant crop of barley."

ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING.*

THE PRESIDENT, SIR GEORGE GABRIEL STOKES, BART., LL.D., SC.D., F.R.S., IN THE CHAIR,

DEATH OF HER LATE MAJESTY THE QUEEN.

The PRESIDENT.-It is proposed that an address of condolence should be sent from the Institute to His Majesty with an expression of our sympathy. The Secretary will read what the

Council have drawn up.

The SECRETARY (Professor E. HULL, LL.D.) then read the following Address:

"To HIS MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY THE KING.

"The Council and Members of the Victoria Institute humbly beg leave to approach Your Majesty with the expression of their heartfelt condolence for the loss which Your Majesty and the Royal Family, together with the whole nation, have sustained by the death of her late Majesty Queen Victoria of blessed memory; whose assiduous devotion to the highest interests of the nation, whose kind and thoughtful consideration for those who were in any way brought into contact with her; and whose sympathy with those on whom calamity had fallen, have endeared her to the hearts of her subjects. Her Majesty's gracious condescension in accepting from time to time the Transactions of this Institute affords one slight illustration of Her

* Monday, 4th February, 1901.

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Majesty's deep interest in the religious and intellectual welfare of her subjects.

They desire at the same time to tender to Your Majesty the humble expression of their devoted loyalty, and pray that God may long preserve Your Majesty's life in health and happiness, to rule over a loyal, contented, and prosperous people."

It was moved by the Rev. Prebendary WACE, D.D., and seconded by DAVID HOWARD, Esq., D.L., and carried unanimously, that the above Address be adopted.

The following paper by E. J. Statham, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., entitled "Ancient Script in Australia," was then read by the Secretary in the absence of the Author.

ANCIENT SCRIPT IN AUSTRALIA. By E. J. STATHAM, Esq., Assoc. M.Inst.C.E.

ORE than half a century has elapsed since the late Sir George Grey's discovery of the remarkable drawings illustrated in the Right Rev. S. Thornton's paper on "Problems of Aboriginal Art in Australia" (Transactions of the Victoria Institute, Vol. XXX, page 205); yet it appears that only now is the great interest and value of those records becoming apparent.

Since the publication of the volume of proceedings of the Brisbane Session of the Australian Association for the Advancement of Science-from which Dr. Thornton's illustrations are derived-another Session of the Association has been held at Sydney (proceedings not yet published), and an interesting paper contributed by Professor John Campbell, LL.D., of Montreal, on "Syllabic Characters on a Cave Painting on the Glenelg River, N.W. Australia," was read before the Section devoted to ethnology and anthropology. The characters treated of are those shown in figure 4 of Dr. Thornton's paper.

To ascertain the meaning of these characters Dr. Fraser, LL.D., of Sydney, submitted a copy of the figure to the professor, who unhesitatingly pronounced the characters on the head to be old Japanese, earlier than the twelfth century

A.D. According to the old Japanese syllabary the inscription read "Ki o chi o sa shi," or in words "Kiochi osa shi," which meant "The number of the hopeless ones is 62" (the number of o's in the upright column on the right hand side of the figure), the conclusion being drawn that the record had reference to shipwrecked Japanese. It was also stated that similar character and language are found on the American Continent.

In the more detailed and coloured drawing which is given in the Australian Association's publication, the figure in question is shown to be not only clothed but shod, apparently with a soled boot without heel, such as those made and worn by Hindoos. In contrast with this clothed figure and evidently of the same period of art is shown a figure, nude, except for the turbaned head, on which he is carrying a kangaroo; the man's feet are well drawn and the toes clearly delineated. It appears, therefore, that both full attire and the fashion of its absolute abandonment-as prevalent with the Aborigines in their wild state-was familiar to the artist or artists who drew these pictures. The 62 o's accompanying the clothed figure have a peculiar method of arrangement, being vertically in three columns and horizontally either singly, or two or three approximately in a line; there is, doubtless, some meaning in this, possibly the three columns may represent men, women, and children, and the grouping may show their affinity. That there were women in the assemblage is evident by the representation of clothed female figures in the same style of drawing. It may be presumed that the "hopeless ones" were a party of emigrants bound for Java, Timor, or one of the intermediate islands, blown out of their course in one of the cyclonic disturbances frequent in these latitudes, and carried to the N.W. coast of Australia.

Whilst it would be going beyond the evidence to contend that these were the first inhabitants of Australia, it is quite within the range of possibility that they may have been. The Aboriginal Australian is a distinct race, bronze rather than black-skinned, tall, straight-haired and bearded; of one language, differing merely in dialect; moreover, unique in weapons, customs, laws and ceremonies. It has been too much the habit of writers on the subject to decry the Australian as the lowest of the human race; far from that he is-under favouring conditions-unsurpassed in physical perfection and thoroughly adapted to his environment. See

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