32 proceedings: anthropological society 



A current map showed how naturally any craft entering and con- 

 tinuing in the great-sea-current which sweeps from the Azores and the 

 other eastern islands westward to the Antilles would be carried to Cuba 

 and her neighbors. 



The Catalan map of 1375 and the Pizigani map of 1387 with its pic- 

 ture of St. Brandan blessing his Fortunate Islands of Porto Santo and 

 Madeira and the figures of a dragon and a dentapod, each carrying off 

 a seaman from his ship as a warning against westward exploration, 

 were also exhibited. They show the circular island of Brazil west of 

 Ireland and the more southerly crescent-form Man or Brazir, both being 

 important and persistent legendary islands: and the Catalan map in 

 particular shows all the Azores approximately in their real grouping: 

 but neither of them presents anything like the Islands of Antillia. 



Dr. Philip Newton read a paper on the Negritos of the Philippifies, 

 estimating their total number (full bloods) at 5000, tho by counting 

 mixed blood tribes and individuals the estimate is sometimes carried 

 up to 25,000. They are distributed thru numerous islands, tho not 

 reported from Mindoro. The greater number are on Luzon. There 

 is no difference in them, except as their blood is mingled with that of 

 neighboring races. They are not fishermen, but hunt and gather natural 

 products, using in some districts poisoned arrows, the symptoms of 

 poisoning being like those of strychnine. Their houses are made of 

 upright poles connected by horizontal poles having cross pieces and 

 leaf thatching. Those who die are buried under or near these homes. 

 They rarely bathe and their clothes (which are breech-clouts or aprons) , 

 are apparently never washed. Usually these are of cloth obtained in 

 trade, but in some islands, for example Palawan, bark is used. Negritos 

 do not regularly practice agriculture, but will sometimes plant rice — 

 and perhaps move away before it ripens. A skin disease is the most 

 prevalent among them, but malaria also is common. Three incipient 

 cases of tuberculosis were noted and some other diseases have been 

 derived from their neighbors. 



Wm. H. Babcock, Secretary. 



