Proceedings, &c. xxi 



8th September, 1858. 



Ordinary Meeting. 



Sir W. F. Stawcll, President, in the Chair. 



The minutes of the two previous ordinary meetings were read by 

 the Secretary, and confirmed. 



Several recently elected members were introduced to the Institute 

 by the President. 



The Secretary read the names of twelve candidates for ordinary 

 membership, to be balloted for at the ensuing meeting. 



The Secretary laid upon the table, as a contribution from the Hon. 

 Captain Clarke, R.E., a MS. copy of Mr. Gellibrand's report on Port 

 Phillip, dated the 18th April, 1836. The Secretary was instructed 

 to communicate the thanks of the Institute to the donor for his 

 valuable contribution. 



The Secretary then read the report to the meeting, after which a 

 desire was expressed by the members that the document should 

 appear in full in the "Transactions of the Institute." [Vide 

 1 ' Transactions. "] 



Ludwig Becker, Esq., exhibited and described some specimens of 

 interest in natural history and the ethnography of Australia. The 

 remarks of Dr. Becker were illustrated by several aboriginal skulls, 

 shell necklaces, tomahawks and other native weapons, belonging to 

 the true Australian race, the aborigines of Tasmania, New Zealand, 

 New Guinea, and the Feegee Islands. Dr. Becker referred principally 

 to the pecidiarities of and probable relations subsisting between the 

 aborigines of Tasmania and the Papua or New Guinea man; to 

 the higher state of civilization the New Zealanders already were 

 found to possess, when first discovered; and that our own aborigines, 

 in Australia, are of a much higher class than as usually and wrongly 

 stated in works treating of the same subject. 



A lengthened discussion ensued. Professor Irving inquired if the 

 natives of New Zealand were a separate and distinct race, or related 

 to the inhabitants of any of the South Sea Islands? 



Mr. Gilfillan stated that in conversing with a chief of one of the 

 New Zealand tribes, he gave him to understand that the prevailing 

 tradition was that two canoes were drifted on to the shores of New 

 Zealand, and that cannibalism had sprung up from necessity. 



Dr. Turnbull considered that there were two races in New Zealand, 

 distinguished by crisp woolly hair, and long glossy hair. 



The Rev. Mr. Jarrett differed from Dr. Becker in supposing that 

 taste in ornamentation clearly indicated the stage of civilization. 



Mr. Ligar, Surveyor-General of Victoria, gave some interesting 

 information as to the habits of New Zealanders, derived from a long 

 residence among them. 



The Institute then separated, 



