122 report — 1877. 



the ancient Cornish, a distinct tongue from the other languages of the Celtic 

 family, but nearest to the Breton or Armorican. 



Remains of the Cornish language briefly considered. Evidence of Zeuss and 

 Pritchard to Aryan character of Cornish. Untenability of theory of Semitic or 

 Hebrew mixture. 



Eminent men of Cornu-British race. 



2. Other races of foreign settlers. 



(1) Anglo-Saxons not so numerous probably as might be expected in an 

 English county. 



(2) The Danish or Norse element. 



(8) The tradition of a Spanish element in parts of the Lizard and Lands End 

 district. No historical evidence, but great probability. If it really exist, most 

 likely the immigration was in modern times. 



(4) The Irish element. Direct evidence of Carew. Difficulty of distinguishing 

 Irish race from Cornu-Britons. Probably now quite intermixed. 



(6) The Jews in Cornwall. Professor Max Midler's remarks against the theory. 

 Possibility of confusion in the tradition between Jews and other Semitic nations, 

 e.g. Phoenicians. 



On some Characteristics of the Malayo- Polynesians. 

 By the Rev. 8. J. "Whithee. 



GEOGRAPHY. 



Address by Admiral Sir Erasmus Ommanney, Knt., C.B., F.E.S., F.E.A.S., 

 F.R.G.S., President of the Section. 



In opening the proceedings of this Section, it occurs to me that it will be interesting 

 to take a general review of the magnitude of Geographical research, and the 

 advance in Geographical science which has been effected during the lapse of time 

 since this great National Association assembled in this renowned town and naval 

 port of the West. 



The British Association for the Advancement of Science has met in Plymouth but 

 pnce before, in 1841 . During that thirty-six years of time our globe, whilst gyrating 

 in its orbit through nearly twenty-three thousand millions of miles in its progress 

 round the sun, has turned on its own axis 13,000 times : it can scarcely fail to be 

 a question of some interest to mark at the end of this period what Geographers 

 have been about on the surface of this globe whilst it has thus been bodily pro- 

 pelled through this stupendous space. 



Before entering, however, upon this consideration of the advances that have 

 been made on the then unknown regions of the globe, I would draw pointed 

 attention to the change which has been effected by the recognition of Geography 

 in the proceedings of this Association since the last meeting here in 1841. Geo- 

 raphy was then ranked only as a subordinate branch of one of the Sections ; it 

 now forms a Section of its own, and we may say tbat it always commands a con- 

 siderable and increasing share of public interest. This growing interest is due, in a 

 great degree, to the exciting and important revelations made by great discoveries, 

 and. the presence of many renowned travellers at our meetings. This independent 

 position must mainly be ascribed to the labours of those distinguished and learned 

 men who took a lea'd in the organization of the Royal Geographical Society of 

 London : foremost amongst them should be placed the names of Hamilton, Grecn- 

 ou°:h, Murchison, Smyth, Beaufort, Barrow, and Rawlinson. 



The enlarged views now held by geographers in a more scientific direction is 

 certainly a satisfactory feature in the progress alluded to ; for in 1841 Physical 



