308 proceedings: anthropological society 



former now managed by an expert forester, while the export of rice is 

 great, about seventy rice mills of modern equipment being operated 

 in Bangkok, besides a large amount of similar work which is done by 

 more primitive methods and apphances throughout the country. The 

 soil is exceedingly fertile in the main valley of the kingdom. There 

 are about eighty miles of good roads around Bangkok and the streets 

 of the city are well made, modern street-car lines running on some of 

 them: but the remainder of the country is practically without roads. 



The late king was notable for many enlightened reforms, such as 

 freeing slaves, relinquishing the royal ownership in the land in the favor 

 of those who had been long in occupancy and use of it, waiving the 

 exemption of the royal lands from taxation and compiling and publish- 

 ing an edition of the Buddhist scriptures, which he supplied to the 

 libraries of the world. 



The inhabitants of Cambodia are of stock similar to the Siamese, 

 but are regarded by them as inferior. Their language is akin to the 

 Sanscrit. The human images before their temples are not idols, but 

 for ornament. There is a fiame-like upward aspiring tendency in their 

 decorative work. No magical or religious importance is attached to 

 white elephants, so called, which are albinoes, white only in patches; 

 they are regarded as curiosities and as such are given to the king. 



The 468th regular and 34th annual meeting of the Anthropological 

 Society of Washington was held on April 15th, 1913, at the National 

 Museum, the President, Mr. Stetson, in the chair. 



The minutes of the last preceding annual meeting were read and 

 approved. 



Obituary notices were presented as follows: Miss Alice Fletcher for 

 Miss Sarah A. Scull; Mr. F. W. Hodge for Mr. W J McGee; Dr. Lamb 

 for Dr. Robert Fletcher. 



The following officers were elected and installed for the ensuing year : 

 President, Mr. George R. Stetson; Vice-President, Dr. John E. 

 Swanton; Secretary, Dr. Daniel Folkmar; Treasurer, Mr. J. N. B. 

 Hewitt; Councillors: Mr. George C. Maynard, Mr. Felix Neumann, 

 Dr. I. M. Casanowicz, Dr. E. L. Morgan and Mr. Francis La Flesche. 



Invitations to meetings of the National Academy of Sciences and of 

 the German Anthropological Association were presented and accepted 

 with thanks. 



Wm. H. Babcock, Secretary. 



