1866. } Geography and Ethnology. 559 
importance. One was by Colonel Goldsmid “On a Recent Journey 
through Eastern Persia and Western Beloochistan,” which the 
author had undertaken in carrying out his duties ag surveyor of 
the new line of the Indian telegraph. Another was by Mr. J. 
Thomson “On a Recent Visit to the Ruined Cities and Temples of 
Cambodia.” 
The third remaining paper on Asiatic subjects was “On the 
proposed Ethnological Congress at Calcutta,” by Sir Walter 
Elhott. Sir Walter stated that a project had been formed in 
Calcutta for gathering together, during the great exhibition pro- 
posed to be held in 1869-70, living examples of all the races of 
man of the old world, for Ethnological study ; and that a second 
minor scheme had also been entertained for an assemblage of speci- 
mens of the distinct tribes of the Bengal Presidency, to take place 
at an earlier period. He proposed, himself, a third scheme, inter- 
mediate between the two, as more practicable than the first and 
more widely useful than the second; this was an assemblage of 
living examples of all the distinct tribes living in British India. 
He enumerated some of the curious specimens which would, on 
this plan, be brought to Calcutta, and gave some details of tribal 
peculiarities. He hoped that European ethnologists would avail 
themselves of the advantages the proposed congress would offer for 
the comparison, side by side, of so many types of man. 
There were six Ethnological papers read in the Section, besides 
those already mentioned. Some of these dealt only in generalities, 
and offered little that need be remarked upon in this place. Two 
were by the veteran Hthnologist, Mr. J. Crawfurd, on “ Julius 
Cesar’s Account of Britain and its Inhabitants;” and “On the 
Migration of Cultivated Plants, with reference to Ethnology.” They 
were characterized by the clearness of statement and acuteness of 
observation which distinguish the venerable President of the Eth- 
nological Society. In the second paper, he advanced the proposition 
that no tribe or nation ever emerged from the savage condition 
without the possession of cultivated cerealia, and seemed to 
imply that it was the nourishment obtained from these grains that 
‘Influenced the character of nations. 
A discussion followed the reading of the paper, in which Mr. 
Nash and Mr. C. R. Markham showed that the argument did not 
hold good in some cases. Mr. Nash instanced the ancient Britons 
and Irish as depending more upon milk and cheese than upon 
grain; and Mr. Markham showed that the civilized Peruvians of 
the elevated table-lands around Lake Titicaca lived upon roots, a 
diet which according to Mr. Crawfurd condemned the tribes that 
were confined to it to the lowest grade of culture. 
* The remaining papers on Geographical subjects were one by 
