928 REPORT—1896. 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19. 
The following Reports and Papers were read :-— 
1. Report on the Ethnographical Survey of Great Britain and Ireland. 
See Reports, p. 607. 
2. Kent in Relation to the Ethnographical Survey. 
By BE. W. Brasroor, F.S.A. 
[Published in full in the ‘ Archeological Journal, 1896, liii., pp. 215-234.] 
3. An Imperial Bureau of Ethnology. By C. Hs Reap, Sec. S.A., 
Keeper of the Ethnographical Department of the British Museum. 
The author proposed the establishment of a bureau in London, in which should 
be gathered information relating to the manners and customs, religious beliefs, and 
laws of all the primitive races inhabiting the British Colonies, or upon the borders 
of the Empire. He strongly urged that it was not only the duty of the Govern- 
ment to place on record such fects connected with races that were in a condition 
either of decay or of constant change, but that it would be to the interest of the 
nation to have such information at hand. He contended that the possession of 
such facts would enable the settler or traveller to avoid many misunderstandings 
with natives that are now so prolific a cause of disaster. A valid reason for the 
prompt establishment of such a bureau is, in Mr. Read’s opinion, that the 
raachinery for the collection of the necessary data already exists ; that such officers 
as those of the Intelligence branch of the War Office, the surgeons in the navy, 
and many others, are quite competent to furnish such returns as are required by 
the bureau ; and if they obtained credit at home for intelligence in this direction, 
many men of these branches of the service would be very ready to spend their 
leisure in such pursuits. Thus only a small staff at home would be required for 
arranging and editing the material. Mr. Read spoke in the highest terms of the 
work done by the United States Bureau of Ethnology which the government of 
that country had thought it worth while to establish and endow for the preserva- 
tion of memorials of a single race—that of the American Continent. 
4. Anthropological Opportunities in British New Guinea. 
By Stpney H. Ray. 
The purpose of the author was to reaffirm the danger of delay in commencing an 
investigation of the Anthropology of British New Guinea, and to call attention to 
the opportunities which exist at the present time for successfully carrying out a 
system of ethnographical and philological enquiry. If anything is to be done, it 
should be done soon. Already there are signs of change, customs and languages 
are dying out before the advance of civilisation. Stress is laid upon languages as 
folk-lore, religious beliefs, and practices, and legal customs can only be thoroughly 
studied through the medium of the languages. We want to know the native’s reason 
for his thought and practice. An European observer will make his observations 
from his own standpoint, and, without a knowledge of inner motives, will often 
draw the most erroneous conclusions from native practices. The opportunity 
besides being in time is also fortunate in circumstances. The country is singularly 
quiet and safe for Europeans. Sir William MacGregor says: ‘In gaining the 
confidence and respect of the natives the Government has been more successful 
than could ever have been expected. They begin to think in may places that 
whatever is ordered or required by the Government is right. ‘hey fear the 
