92 BARON DE BODE ON DAGISTAN. [April 23, 1860. 



in the language, but generally they understand the Avar dialect. Their 

 government is purely democratic, and the chiefs properly are elective. The 

 arms made in Dagistan are of a very superior quality; excellent rifles are 

 manufactured, and exported to both Turkey and Persia. Their country is 

 highly cultivated ; very good cloth is made, and their cloaks, or yapoonchas, 

 are in general use in the neighbouring states of l^ersia, Georgia, and Turkey. 

 Their schools furnish mullahs to the Caucasus generally. The place marked 

 in the map as Dagistan is chiefly inhabited by the Chilchens, Kists, and other 

 tribes of a distinct race. The troops of Dagistan are almost entirely infantry. 

 Their cavalry are inferior, and the only good horse are from the Tartar tribes 

 of Yaksi and Yamout. 



The Circassians differ entirely from the Lesghi. Their dress, habits, 

 government, and language, have nothing in common. The Circassians are a 

 feudal people, with three classes of nobility, who serve generally as cavalry, 

 which are of the best quality. From this people the best Mamelukes were 

 drawn, and they were the great slave-dealers of this country. Some slaves of 

 the Circassians, at a very early period, submitted to Russia, and served in 

 their army. The Circassians became Mahomedans in the middle of the last 

 century. 



Tenth Meeting, April 23rd, 1860. 



Sm EODEEICK I. MURCHISON, Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Presentations. — Consul IT. S. Freeman; the Rev. T. W. Prickett ; 

 H, W. Peek ; and W. Smith, c.e., Esqrs., were presented upon their 

 election. 



Elections. — Major-General Randall Rumley, Vice-President of the 

 Council of Military Education ; Andrew Arcedeclme ; I^rancis Black ; 

 James T. Mackenzie ; Richard Biddulph Martin ; Thomas Michell ; Harry 

 Norris ( Colonial Office) ; Hodgson Pratt ; Robert Rintoul ; Benjamin 

 Coulson Robinson ; and Alfred Sartoris, Esqrs., were elected Fellows. 



Announcements. — It was announced that a comnmnication had 

 "been received from Sir G. P. Bowen, f.r.g.s., Governor of Queens- 

 land, stating that he had appointed Mr. Augustus C. Gregory (Gold 

 Medallist, r.g.s.) as Surveyor-General of Crown Lands for that 

 colony. It was also announced that the Admiralty liad granted, in 

 accordance with the request of the Council, to Captains Speke and 

 Grant a free passage to the Cape, en route to Zanzibar, in H.M.S. 

 Fo7^te, which would likewise convey his Exciellency Sir G. Grey, 

 F.R.G.S., and Admiral Sir H. Keppel to that station. 



Exhibitions. — A series of beautifully executed sketches in Texas 

 and Mexico by the Abbe Domenech, six years a resident in those 

 countries, and some maps of the Swedish Government survey, were 

 exhibited. 



