84 REPORT—1852. 
Notes on Blumenbach’s Classification of the Human Race. 
By Ricuarp Cutt, Hon. Sec. Eth. Soe. 
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Description of a Samoied Family seen at Archangel, in a letter to 
Dr. Hodgkin. By Joun V. GiLEs. 
During my late visit to Archangel I had an opportunity of observing a family of 
Samoieds, and beg to offer a description of them. They consisted of five individuals, 
the father, mother and their children, and my interest was chiefly enlisted in them 
by their exceedingly diminutive stature. 
In beating about the coast of Lapland for some weeks and round the North Cape, 
I had accustomed myself to the low stature of the Laplanders, but the height of 
these poor wandering Samoieds approached dwarfishness. 
The mother, who was about three inches taller than the man, was scarcely four 
feet high. The next most striking peculiarity I observed in them was a close re- 
semblance in features to the Chinese, or to such of the Chinese people as I have seen 
about Lintin, Whampoa and Canton, who are, I believe, a race between the Chinese 
and Tartars. The chief point of resemblance was the oblique set of the eyes in the 
head, they being also small, dark and piercing; cheek bones high; hair long and 
black; complexion dark and swarthy. There appeared to be much labour expended 
upon their dress, which consisted of an infinite number of very small pieces of deer 
skins, cut into the shape of lozenges or diamonds, closely and rather neatly sewed 
together, the fur side of the skin turned inwards. Much pains seemed to be taken 
to ornament them, by plaiting and working up strips of skins into tassels. 
The upper vestment resembled a strait jacket, having long sleeves closed at their 
extremities, which appeared to be used as a scrip, for when anything was given to 
them they released the arm through an opening made under the armpit, and then 
drew the arm in again, depositing the article in the nether extremity of the sleeve, 
The lower part of their dress terminated in and was joined to a sort of mocassin, 
made also as the upper portion, of an infinite deal of patchwork, I imagined they 
had been in the habit of exhibiting themselves to English vessels, for they had learned 
a few words in our language, and could ask for tobacco, biscuit and beef. To my 
repeated inquiries as to where they came from, they pointed to the north-east. 
They made me several visits during my stay, seemingly very much pleased with 
the gifts of tobacco and biscuits they received from me, but would never come on 
board the ship. Unlike the people around them, they would not drink raw spirits. 
The youngest of the children I judged to be about three years of age. The man’s 
features were regular and tolerably well-looking, but in the woman I discerned 
the marks of premature old age ; she was wrinkled and had lost some teeth. 
Upon first seeing them I had taken them all for children from their size, until I came 
to look into the woman’s face, when seeing the marks of age, and making inquiries 
as well as I could, they made one understand their relationship. 
As they are a people not much known, I have imagined an account of them, how- 
ever short, by one who had personally met with them, might contribute to your 
researches in ethnology. 
Notes upon a Collection of Irish Crania. By Joan GRATTAN. 
On placing this collection of ancient Irish crania before the Section, the author 
offered a few remarks as to whence they were obtained, and as to their probable an- 
tiquity. For some years Mr. Grattan had been associated with Mr. Getty in his 
examination of the round towers in Ulster, having for his special object to rescue 
from destruction any crania that might be brought to light during Mr. Getty’s pro- 
ceedings. Ten round towers were examined in which various osseous human re- 
mains were found, including eleven crania. In all the towers, except that at Trum- 
mery, upon removing a greater or less depth of heterogeneous materials,—evidently 
the slow accumulation of ages,—a flooring of lime, apparently the result of the acci- 
dental dropping of mortar during the building of the tower, was reached, from which 
downwards the offsets that constituted the foundations of the tower extended, the 
interior being filled up with soil similar in all respects except compactness to the 
