TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION H. 813 



(c) Stella, sculptured and plain. Similar monoliths occur in Spanish Hon- 

 duras and Mexico. 



(d) Stone- faced pi/ ramids, single smd in groups. A large stone-faced plateau 

 covered with pyramids has been discovered recently. 



(e) Fortifications, especially groups of fortified mounds along the sea-shore, 

 and look-out mounds with fortifications attached, near ancient village sites. 



(f) Ovoid xinderciround chambers: their distribution, size, contents, and 

 probable uses. Similar chambers occur elsewhere. 



(2) The Former Civilisation of Honduras : — 



(a) Weapons and tools and the materials from which manufactured. The 

 author notes the unaccountable absence of metals and describes the spear and arrow 

 heads, celts, knives, even grinders, loom-weights, net-sinkers, hammer-stones, 

 scrapers, henequen-cleaners, and other stones of unknown use. 



(b) Ornamental and ceremonial objects : head-dress ornaments, earrings, nose 

 ornaments, labrets, gorgets, and curiously shaped flint and obsidian objects, 

 probably ceremonial. 



(c) Pottery. — There are three main vai'ieties : (1) fine thin ware, painted in 

 various colours and glazed ; (2) coarser red ware ; (3) very clumsy, coarse, 

 unglazed ware, usually employed for sepulchral purposes. 



(d) Burial customs. — There is great variety in the methods of burial : crema- 

 tion and partial cremation; burial in cysts and oval chambers; earth burial. 

 The position of corpse and the objects buried with the dead are noted, and also the 

 local custom of burying small animal effigies with the dead. 



(e) Writing and pictographic records wee. similar to those found at Palenque, 

 Quiriqua, Chichen-Itza, &c. There is no satisfactory key as yet. Specimens are 

 on stone, pottery, and stucco. 



(f) Religion. — The Toltec pantheon is described ; the probable introduction of 

 human sacrifice is discussed, and ancient religious rites are noted, which are still 

 carried out by remote tribes. 



(3) The Present Inhabitants of Honduras : — 



(a) Personal characteristics. — General appearance of males and females; heiglit 

 and development ; mental development ; influence of diet and environment ; 

 family ties and indifference to death. 



(b) Language. — Maya is practically universal, except amongst the Caribs and a 

 few isolated individuals recently discovered. The author describes the dialects of 

 Maya, the variation in language since the conquest, and the introduction into 

 Maya of Spanish words. 



(c) Religions. — Christianity, semi-Christianity, idolatry. The author notes 

 the similarity of the ancient religion to Christianity. 



(d) Native arts and agriculture. — Spinning, weaving, pottery manufacture, 

 black wax candles and ornaments, flint chipping, milpa-making, preparing corn, 

 henequen. 



(e) The influence of civilisation has been disastrous from the earliest days; 

 the reluctance of Indians to mix with whites or negroes ; the influence of alcohol ; 

 epidemic and other diseases ; with a civilised Indian. 



5. The Progress of Islam in India.^ By '^iLhiA.yi Crookts., B. A. 



This paper discusses the question whether Islam is or is not increasing its 

 numbers in India. Various views have been expressed on this point. The reports 

 of the recent and former censuses enable the question to be finally settled. There 

 is no doubt that in certain parts of the country the rise of Islam in recent years has 

 ffOD^ op at a rate higher than that of Hinduism. 



' To be published in full in Journ, Anthr. Inst, 



