TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 171 



4th. That these symbols conjoined are found in Egyptian, Assyrian, and Peruvian 

 sculptures, and may be traced in some of the stone circles of Britain, and in the 

 shape of Irish brooches or fibulae. 



6th. That from the belief in the magical powers of rods perhaps arose tree- 

 worship, or at least such veneration for trees as is observable of the oaks of 

 Dordona and of the Druids, the ash of Scandinavia, and, for some imexplained 

 reason, more particularly of the hazel. 



6th. That Eelomancy or Divination by marked arrows, said to be of Scythic 

 origin, was practised in Babylon, Judfca, and Arabia, and that traces of it may still 

 be found in folk tales of Russia and Siberia. 



7th. That the mode of using these arrows had a strong resemblance to the very 

 ancient custom of casting lots, common to all peoples, ancient and modern, the 

 " Plwiting Treow " of tlie Anglo-Saxons being still used by the Hottentots. 



8th. That the invention of lots and dice as well as that of the divining-rod is 

 ascribed to Hermes or Mercurj^ identified with the Woden of the north and by 

 some writers with the Indian Buddha. 



9tli. That a strong resemblance exists between the implements of magic and 

 the ancient alphabets, also the reputed invention of the same god or gods. 



10th. That many of the signs or letters forming the Archaic-Phoenician alphabet 

 are found in the rock-sculptures of Peru, thus adding one more to the many proofs 

 of "a communication existing between the hemispheres in prehistoric times. 



11th. That the arts of magic and divination were not of Aryan origin, but a 

 remnant of that Turanian or pre- Aryan faith which once overspread the world. 



12th. That this is proved by their present existence among aboriginal non- 

 Aryan races, and may perhaps even be used as a test of race ; so that those who in 

 Somerset and Cornwall are said to possess the power of divination by the rod, may 

 possibly have some remote affinity with the aboriginal inhabitants of Britain, 



On the Indians of tlie Nortli-ivcsiern United Stales. 

 By Colonel Caeeington, LL.D. 



On Frelnstoric Culture in India and Africa. By HtdE CiaSke, 



Calling attention to the author's philological investigations as to the evidence of 

 the successive migration and distribution of languages in Asia, Africa, North, 

 Central, and South America, and in some casqs in Australia, he proceeded to give 

 the result of later special investigations as to the commuiiity of culture in. 

 India and Africa. For this purpose Koelle's African vocabularies were used, 

 with those of Dr. W. W. Hunter, Col. Dalton, and Sir G. Campbell for India, but 

 excluding the Tibetan, Dravidian, and Sanskrit. Thus the materials were chiefly 

 derived from Bodo, Dhimal, Kooch, Garo, Savara, Miri, Naga, Karen, Kami, and 

 Kol, races which certainly had exercised no influences of commerce or civiliza- 

 tion in Africa within the historic period. Besides weapon-names elsewhere 

 referred to. Town, Canoe or Boat, Tree, and Leaf show a community. The 

 author then showed how the Indian words for salt were reproduced in Africa, as : — 

 Naga, wiflfae; Miri, abi; Kol, buhmr/; Kooch, «hw; Keimi,maloi; Bodo, /lara; Savara, 

 Jusi; Karen, ithah; G ondi, sabbar. The facts he held to prove that the earliest 

 savages had made themselves acquainted with the properties of salt, and carried 

 this knowledge with them throughout the world in their migrations. The names 

 of the domestic animals are recognizable ; but those for elephant seem to show, 

 as might be expected from geological testimony, that this animal being then most 

 widely distributed was well distinguished. The philology of the aboriginal 

 languages of India could only be eflfectually studied from those of Africa ; and the 

 author suggests that it would be a gi-eat advantage if some of the missionaries of 

 the two regions could interchange stations. 



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