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that great benefit will accrue to science by thus working together, and eventually I hope we shall be able to make arrangements for an exchange of the use of our wood-cuts and lithographic plates.

And now, gentlemen, I have taken up so much of your time that I must not detain you much longer. I have briefly traced our past history, and what is the future in store for us? This will entirely depend on ourselves. If I do not mistake the signs of the times, however, a glorious future awaits our Society. The rapid increase of our numbers shows how well our objects are appreciated, and gives hope that at last the science of mankind shall indeed be studied with zeal and earnestness. The Geological Society, on which we have formed our rules, gives us a noble example of what may be done by real and zealous workers. Is there anything to prevent the Anthropological from becoming at least equal to the Geological Society? On the contrary, our science must ultimately be not only the most interesting, but also the most important. It is frequently the habit of scientific men to exaggerate the importance of their own special study to the detriment of other branches of knowledge; but do I exaggerate when I say that the fate of nations depends on a true appreciation of the science of anthropology? Are the causes which have overthrown the greatest of nations not to be resolved by the laws regulating the intermixture of the races of man? Does not the success of our colonisation depend on the deductions of our science? Is not the composition of harmonic nations entirely a question of race? not the wicked war now going on in America caused by an ignorance of our science? These and a host of other questions must ultimately be resolved by inductive science. The dreams of philosophers or of fanatics must all disappear before the light of true science. I well know we are far, very far, from being able to give decided answers to any of the questions I have suggested. But we see that all these questions must be resolved by the students of mankind. France has her professors of anthropology, and why not England? Geologists give medals to their successful students, and why should not anthropologists do the same? The Royal Society has its lectureships, and what is wanted but a good example, that we should have here established lectureships for the different branches of Our science?

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Some may consider these views visionary, but surely what is possible with one society is also possible for another. All we want now are workers who are conscious of the magnitude and importance of their science, and who are determined to go on with their work of accumulating facts and making deductions simply from these facts, entirely regardless of what conclusions they may arrive at.

For myself, I am but too conscious of my entire inability properly to discharge the high office of President to such an important Society. My time and talents-such as they are-are, however, at the entire disposal of the Fellows of the Society, in any capacity in which they may be found most useful, until this Society is in the flourishing state desired by its best friends.

Mr. S. E. COLLINGWOOD moved, "That the thanks of the Society be given to the President for his Address, and that it be printed;" which was seconded by Mr. TRAVERS, and carried unanimously.

Mr. G. WITT moved, "That the thanks of the Society be given to the retiring members of Council: Edward Pick, Esq., and Dr. J. Hughlings Jackson, for their services in the past year;" which was seconded by Dr. LISTER, and carried unanimously.

Mr. JAMES REDDIE moved, "That the thanks of the Society be given the President, Vice-Presidents, Officers, and Council for their services in the past year." He congratulated the Society on its present position, and called especial attention to the modest manner in which Dr. Hunt had alluded to his own labours, which had tended so materially to the service of the Society. He hoped that care would be taken that the Anthropological Review, which in one sense might be regarded as the child of the Society, although it was out in the world by itself, would be made as uniform in appearance as possible with the publications of the Society. He had much pleasure in moving this resolution, which, he felt certain, would be unanimously accepted.

Mr. J. SMITH seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. Dr. HUNT, Mr. CARTER BLAKE, Mr. J. FRED. COLLINGWOOD, Mr. A. HIGGINS, and Mr. R. S. CHARNOCK, briefly acknowledged the honour conferred upon them.

Mr. BENDYSHE moved, "That the thanks of the Society be given to the Auditors," which was seconded by Mr. A. RAMSAY, Jun., and carried unanimously.

Mr. S. E. COLLINGWOOD, on the part of Mr. G. BYHAM and himself, briefly acknowledged the vote.

The Scrutineers brought up their Report, when it was announced that the following gentlemen were elected Officers and Council for the ensuing year :-President, Dr. James Hunt, F.S.A. Vice-Presidents, Captain Richard F. Burton; Sir Charles Nicholson, Bart.; the Duke of Roussillon. Secretaries, C. Carter Blake, Esq.; J. F. Collingwood, Esq. Foreign Secretary, Alfred Higgins, Esq. Treasurer, Richard S. Charnock, Esq. Councillors, T. Bendyshe, Esq.; W. Bollaert, Esq.; S. E. Collingwood, Esq.; Dr. George D. Gibb; H. Hotze, Esq.; J. Norman Lockyer, Esq.; S. E. Bouverie Pusey, Esq.; W. Winwood Reade, Esq.; George E. Roberts, Esq.; C. R. des Ruffières, Esq.; Dr. Berthold Seemann; W. Travers, Esq.; W. S. W. Vaux, Esq.; George Witt, Esq., F.R.S.

Mr. L. OWEN PIKE moved "That the thanks of the Society be given to the Scrutineers;" which was seconded by Mr. PETHERICK, and carried unanimously.

Mr. H. J. C. BEAVAN returned thanks.

Mr. CARTER BLAKE wished to call the attention of the Society to the state of the library, which now contained many most valuable works, and he hoped when a catalogue should be prepared, and when all the books which were in the library were properly stamped, the Fellows would enjoy the privilege of borrowing books under certain regulations. The especial object of his present remarks, however, was

to call the attention of the Society to the most valuable donation which Dr. Hunt had presented, consisting of 119 volumes, chiefly on African travel. This would form the nucleus of a library which would eventually prove of the highest value to Fellows, and he had much pleasure in moving "That the best thanks of the Society be given to Dr. Hunt for the liberal and valuable donation which he has presented to the Society's library."

Mr. G. WITT seconded the motion, which was carried by acclamation.

Dr. HUNT, after thanking the Society, said that he had long felt the necessity that anthropologists should possess a good reference library, and that it gave him great pleasure to assist in its formation. He hoped that other members would feel an equal interest in the subject. The Royal Society of Literature had offered a desirable suite of apartments for a library and museum, and he hoped that the increase of members during the next few months would enable the Council to accept this offer.

The PRESIDENT then declared the proceedings to be at an end.

JANUARY 19TH, 1864.

JAMES HUNT, ESQ, PRESIDENT, IN THE CHAIR.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The following Fellows were elected: William Easse, Esq.; Henry Butler, Esq.; Philip Lybbe Powys Lybbe, Esq., M.P; Robert C. Marsden, Esq.

The Extinction of Races. By RICHARD LEE, B.A., F.A.S.L., M.R.C.S.

The rapid disappearance of aboriginal tribes before the advance of civilisation is one of the many remarkable incidents of the present age. In every new country, from America to New Zealand, from Freemantle to Honolulu, it is observable, and seems to be a necessary result of an approximation of different races, peculiar, however, in degree, at least, to this portion of the world's history. It has been estimated that the Hawaiians have been reduced as much as eightyfive per cent. during the last hundred years. The natives of Tasmania are almost, if not quite, extinct. The Maories are passing away at the rate of about twenty five per cent. every fourteen years, and in Australia, as in America, whole tribes have disappeared before the advance of the white man.

Looking back into history, it would appear that such circumstances have not always been the consequence even of enduring oppression, still less of civilisation. Two millions of the Coptic race still testify to the inability of the ancient Eastern powers to destroy all remnants of the people they subdued. Egypt numbers a vast crowd of the lineal descendants of those men who fell before the Persian tyrant two thousand years ago; and, to come nearer home, the Celts, the Britons,

and the ancient Gauls, have a large host of worthy representatives upon their own soil.

Nowhere has the disappearance of a native race been more complete in modern times than in Tasmania, and although, no doubt, the most relentless butcheries were at one time practised in that colony, yet, for many years past, the aborigines have been under the immediate protection of the government. It would be impossible now to determine accurately the extent of the loss that has taken place, but it may be reached approximatively. In 1815 the aborigines of Van Diemen's Land were estimated at 5000, and this was probably a lower calculation than might have been justified. Five years later so great was the slaughter practised by the early settlers, that this number had become reduced to 340, of whom 160 were females. In 1831, the year in which they were invited to place themselves under the protection of the local authorities, after these same authorities had sought and failed to destroy them by a military force, there were but 196; and their numbers continued as rapidly to decline. In that year fifty-four were sent to the establishment devoted to them at Flinder's Island; in 1832 sixty-three more gave themselves up; and in the three following years eighty-nine were added to the group. This comprised the native aboriginal population of the island at the time. But during the five years thus included, seventy-three had died on the station, so that government protection did not lessen the mortality. In 1847 the whole of the party were removed from Flinder's Island to an old convict station on the shores of D'Entrecasteaux's Channel, to the south of Hobart Town; there were then only fortyseven, and of those but thirteen men. In 1855 the numbers were further reduced, and the once numerous tribes of Van Diemen's Land had only sixteen representatives. Of these, two were sixteen years of age, and the rest varied from thirty to fifty-five.

This remarkable result cannot be attributed altogether to the low condition of the Tasmanian Aborigines, or to the cruel treatment of the European settlers. A similar process of extinction is even now taking place in New Zealand, notwithstanding the thinness of the white population, and the superior character of the Maori race; and so steadily is this going on, that before the end of another hundred years the aboriginal New Zealander will, in all probability, have become extinct.

When missionaries first went out to New Zealand, the native population was variously estimated by them at from 100,000 to 140,000; but these estimates were necessarily made under considerable difficulties and probably never exceeded the truth. The first official census was not taken till 1858, and in that year the number was found to be hardly more than 56,000.

From this it is evident that there are some causes in operation to produce an extinction of certain races which at present cannot be clearly defined. The average mortality among them is greater than among most civilised nations; but in addition to that, and to the diminished reproduction of the species, there has been shown to be an inequality of the sexes among the adult population in an inverse ratio to that usually obtaining.

Out of several tribes, numbering nearly 40,000 persons, it has been ascertained that the proportion of males to females under fourteen years of age, was as 5.974 to 4.860, and above fourteen it was as 16.443 to 11.989.

These facts open up an interesting field for inquiry, both to the philanthropist and the philosopher. It is startling to observe the sudden disappearance before an advance of civilisation of people who have multiplied and lived for ages upon lands now for the first time occupied by the white man. Nor is the circumstance divested of any of its interest, when it is made tolerably evident that other than purely artificial causes are operating to produce such a result. The introduction among aboriginal races of some European diseases, and of injurious habits-intemperance and the like—as well as a directly increased mortality, due to an antagonism between the white and the coloured population, are among the leading artificial causes; but none of these will account for the paradox that exists in respect to the inequality of the sexes, the unusual diminution of females, and the increase to such an enormous extent of unproductive marriages. For an explanation of all this we must look deeper; and it is more than a question whether at the present time anything like a satisfactory explanation can be offered.

There is, however, one condition into which native tribes are brought through contact with civilisation that has hitherto been overlooked, but which the writer has observed to be frequently productive of fatal effects among tribes where the observations have been chiefly made. It is well known, for example, that the Australian aborigines, although constantly exposed to the weather, are exceedingly susceptible to cold. Before a southerly wind they crouch under every cover they can find, the insufficient quality, as well as quantity of their food, offering no protection to their system against the vicissitudes of temperature, which, in that part of the world, are often very great. The influx of Europeans has enabled them, though to a limited degree, to procure articles of clothing or blankets, the value of which they at times thoroughly appreciate. But the first warm day sees all these things thrown aside, and it not unfrequently happens that fever and other diseases are actually produced through the careless use or disuse of warm coverings. Deaths arising from this cause are now of frequent occurrence; the system which, in its natural state, was prone to suffer from changes of temperature, being still more liable to injury when those changes are rendered greater through the improper use of clothes.

As an almost abstract question for discussion, it may be suggested whether this disappearance of aboriginal tribes may be taken as a type of what might happen at a future period of the world's historyat that period which some have even now conceived to be probable, when the present population shall have to give place to an order of beings superior to the now dominant race of mankind in all those faculties and endowments which most tend to elevate humanity. Glancing over the surface of the globe, and pausing for a moment to contemplate the mighty changes that have been wrought during the

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