574 



NATURE 



[October 14, 1897 



The late Alvan G. Clark. — Prof. Hale gives a brief 

 obituary notice of the late world-renowned optician, Mr. Alvan 

 Clark {Astrophysical Journal for August), which is accompanied 

 by an excellent illustration showing him at the Yerkes Observa- 

 tory with the crown lens of the 40-inch. In this notice Prof. 

 Hale remarks : " It was no small proof of devotion to his work 

 and interest in its successful termination that he should be will- 

 ing to leave his home after a nearly fatal stroke of apoplexy, 

 and to undertake a journey of over a thousand miles in order to 

 accompany the 40-inch objective to its destination." We gather, 

 also, that Mr. Clark considered the question of the possibility of 

 constructing an objective still larger than his last great master- 

 piece, and, although fearing the effect of flexure, he considered 

 It might be possible to still further increase the aperture without 

 endangering the performance of the objective. Mr. Carl 

 Lundin, who has been in the firm for five-and-twenty years, will 

 continue to carry on the business. 



A PLEA FOR A BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY 

 FOR THE BRITISH EMPIRE. 

 A T the meeting of the British Association at Liverpool last 

 ■'"*■ year, Mr, C. H. Read, of the British Museum, read a 

 paper before the Anthropological Section, which deserves more 

 notice than has been accorded to it. He urged that " what is 

 needed in this country, with its vast colonial possessions, is a 

 Bureau of Ethnology, such as has now existed for some time in 

 the United States. The value of such an institution for our 

 empire can scarcely be estimated. That its tabulated re- 

 searches would be of the greatest importance to science 

 will not be doubted ; but its strongest claim to existence as a 

 national institution is the immense service it would render, 

 first, to the officers governing our distant possessions, and, 

 second, to the Central Government at home, who would thus have 

 in the compass of a modest library a synopsis of the history, 

 manners, customs, and religious beliefs of the innumerable 

 races composing the British Empire. In a word, we should 

 have at hand the means of understanding the motives which 

 influence the peoples with whom we are constantly dealing, 

 and thus be able to avoid the disagreements arising from ignor- 

 ance of their cherished prejudices and beliefs." He then re- 

 ferred to the Bureau of Ethnology in Washington, which was 

 created with the quick decision of a practical people when they 

 realised that they had at their doors a race that was fated to 

 disappear within a measurable time, and that it was their duty to 

 record the history, beliefs and culture of the vanishing American 

 Indian before the opportunity had passed away for ever. 



Prof. Max Mliller, at the meeting of the British Association 

 which was held at Cardiff" in 1891, is reported to have said: 

 "Our American friends have perceived that it is a national duty 

 to preserve as much as can still be preserved of the languages 

 and thoughts of the indigenous races who were the earliest 

 dwellers on American soil. They know that the study of what 

 might be called intellectual geology is quite as important as that 

 of terrestrial geology, and that the study of the lower strata con- 

 tains the key to a right understanding of the higher strata in the 

 growth of the human mind. Coming generations will call us to 

 account for having allowed the old world to vanish without try- 

 ing to preserve its records. Some years ago I had succeeded in 

 persuading a Secretary of State for the Colonies that it was the 

 duty of the English Government to publish a series of colonial 

 records, containing trustworthy information on the languages, 

 customs, laws, religions and monuments of the races inhabiting 

 the English colonies. Lord Granville saw that such an under- 

 taking was a national duty, and that the necessary funds should 

 be contributed by the various colonies. Think what a mag- 

 nificent work this would have been ! But while the American 

 Government has pushed forward its work, Lord Granville's 

 scheme expired in the pigeon-holes of the Colonial Office. 

 America may well be proud of Major Powell, who would not 

 allow the treasures collected by various scholars and Govern- 

 ment officials to moulder and perish." 



The splendid series of reports and the collections of ethno- 

 logical specimens in the National Museum at Washington, attest 

 to the ability with which this department is conducted. The 

 appropriation by Congress for the fiscal year 1891-92 "for the 

 purpose of continuing ethnological researches among the 

 American Indians" was 50,000 dols. During the same year 

 six ethnologists and seven archaeologists were on duty in the 

 field, besides the work done in the Bureau in Washington. 



NO. 1459, VOL. 56] 



Mr. Read, however, did not propose that in England we 

 should found a Bureau on precisely the lines of the American 

 one. The conditions of the two countries are not sufficiently 

 alike, but the point he urged was : " If the Government of the 

 United States thinks it worth while to be at so much pains, and 

 to incur such an outlay, in order to place on record the history 

 of the one race with which they have to deal, how much more 

 is it the duty of Great Britain to attempt some record of the 

 many vanishing or, at any rate, quickly-changing races within her 

 borders ? I would not only say that it is a duty, but I contend 

 that it would be greatly tc the interest and profit of England to 

 institute an ethnc^raphic survey of the native races within and 

 upon the borders of her empire. Colonial history is not very 

 ancient — some of it very recent indeed ; but how common it is 

 in the history of almost all our colonies to find skirmish after 

 skirmish with the natives arising from ignorance of the native 

 customs and beliefs on the part of the white man, resulting in 

 much trouble to the latter, and, in far too many cases, in the 

 annihilation of the unfortunate natives. The study of ethnology 

 would not entirely prevent such misunderstandings, l)ut it would 

 tend to remove them more quickly if they should occur. An 

 officer who, possessing other qualifications, applies himself to 

 the systematic study of the peoples around him, so that he can 

 readily enter into their methods of thought, and interpret their 

 actions as well as their words, is, I contend, a more valuable 

 agent than one who merely gives his mind and his time to his 

 strictly official business, and his work should be considered oi 

 greater value by his superiors at home." Mr. Read alluded to 

 the attempt in this direction of one of theGovernmentsof India, 

 the Madras Presidency, and the latours of Mr. Man and Mr. 

 Portman in the Andaman Islands, Sir Harry Johnston in Africa, 

 and of Sir William McGregor in New Guinea. He advocated 

 (i) that the reports should be systematised and on a uniform 

 method in an office in London ; (2) that such work should be 

 held to be part of the duties of the officer on duty abroad ; and 

 consequently (3) the officer should obtain credit for such work 

 when well done. 



The following resolution was referred to the Council of the 

 British Association : "That it is of urgent importance to press 

 upon the Government the necessity of establishing a Bureau of 

 Ethnology for Great Britain, which, by collecting information 

 with regard to the native races within, and on the borders of, the 

 Empire, will prove of immense value to science and to the 

 Government itself." The Council subsequently appointed a 

 Committee consisting of the President (Lord Lister) and 

 General Officers, with Sir John Evans, Sir John Lubbock, 

 Mr. C. H. Read, and Prof. E. B. Tylor. The report of 

 this Committee was presented to the Council of the Associa- 

 tion at the Toronto meeting. It dealt with the urgency, so 

 far as science is concerned, of the need of collection of facts 

 and with the benefit to the Government of these inquiries. 

 Finally it was pointed out that "the collecting of the neces- 

 sary information for the Bureau could be done with but little 

 expense and with a very small staff only, if the scheme were re- 

 cognised and forwarded by the Government. The Bureau 

 itself, the central office, would be of necessity in London. 

 The Colonial Office would obviously present some advantages. 

 The British Museum has been suggested, with good reason, 

 and there appears to be no insuperable difficulty if the Trus- 

 tees are willing to undertake the responsibility of controlling 

 such a department. The staff" would not be numerous. A 

 director accustomed to deal with ethnological matter would 

 necessarily direct the conduct of inquiries, and until the ma- 

 terial assumed large proportions two or three clerks would 

 probably suffice. If the value of the results were considered 

 to justify it, the increase of the area of operations over the 

 world would probably call for additional assistance after the 

 Bureau had been at work for a few years " The Council re- 

 solved that the Trustees of the British Museum be requested 

 to consider whether they could arrange for the proposed 

 Bureau to be established in connection with the Museum ; 

 and if they are unable to sanction this proposal, that the 

 authorities of the Imperial Institute be requested to under- 

 take its establishment. 



The present writer remarked some years ago : — " Such a Bureau 

 would serve as a great stimulus to those who are interested in 

 native races, but who require encouragement and direction. 

 There can be little doubt. that an immense number of isolated 

 observations are lost for the lack of a suitable depository, the 

 observers being fully aware that these are too casual to be of 



