20 PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



especially must be to a great extent theoretical. The Mackie 

 Ethnological expedition to Central Africa has just finished its 

 labours and brought back much information about the cere- 

 monial and religious observances of the different tribes, most 

 of whom have as yet been little influenced by civilization. 

 The work of the Indian linguistic survey is also progressing, 

 179 languages and 544 dialects having been so far dealt with, 

 an immense number for only one country. Investigations 

 amongst the cliff dwellings of the Pueblos in Colorado tend to 

 shew that they are not derived from either the Mexicans or 

 the Aztecs, and, as no trace of European objects has been 

 found, they w r ere doubtless anterior at least to Columbus. A 

 series of rock inscriptions relating to the early history of this 

 race, and mentioned by the first Spanish explorers, have been 

 transcribed. Tracings of prehistoric rock engravings from the 

 shores of Lake Onega, N. Russia, have been made, this being 

 the only place in Western Russia where they occur. A book 

 on the ancient Maya civilization in Honduras and Guatemala, 

 has been published, dealing with the inscriptions and fine ruins. 

 These people who were before the Aztecs, had an elaborate 

 hieroglyphic script and their inscriptions chiefly relate to 

 matters connected with the calendar; the others, which are 

 probably religious, seem to be harder to decipher. Numerous 

 excavations have been made in different places. Those at 

 Motya, Sicily, shew an ancient Phoenician colony, which came 

 to an end in 397 B.C. Here have been found a number of 

 urns containing cremated remains of animals, mostly ruminants. 

 No human remains were found in this animal cemetery. In 

 Crete, in a Minoan palace have been found a series of colossal 

 bronze double axes, some being several feet in length. From 

 a cave in the Mendips have been unearthed objects of worked 

 bone and stone, bronze hubs and bands of chariot wheels, 

 bronze bracelets and rings, an iron key, iron slave shackles, 

 and pottery, which had affinities w r ith that found in Brittany. 

 It is supposed that the occupants belonged to the race who 

 built the Lake village at Glastonbury and inhabited Wookey 

 Hole and other neighbouring places, Further work at 



