THE JOURNAL OF THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. APRIL 14TH, 1885. Professor FLOWER, LL.D., F.R.S., Vice-President, in the Chair. The Minutes of the last meeting were read and signed. The following presents were announced, and thanks voted to the respective donors: FOR THE LIBRARY. From the AUTHOR.-The Chittagong Hill Tribes. Results of a Les Derniers Voyages des Néerlandais à la Nouvelle-Guinée. Descriptive Catalogue of the Goodwin Ethnological Collection, The Liberty of Independent Historical Research. By Thomas The Detection of Colour-Blindness and Imperfect Eyesight. Elephant Pipes in the Museum of the Academy of Natural VOL. XV. L From the AUTHOR.-Sopra due Cranii Italo-Greci. By Michele Manufatti preistorici di America esistenti nel Gabinetto di From the REGISTRAR-GENERAL OF VICTORIA.-Patents and Patentees. From the DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT FÜR ANTHROPOLOGIE.-Correspondenz-Blatt. March, 1885. From the LIBRARIAN OF THE MITCHELL LIBRARY, GLASGOW.-Report, 1884. From the SEC. DE FOMENTO.-Anales Estadisticos de la Republica de Guatemala. Año de 1833; Tomo. II. From the SOCIEDADE DE GEOGRAPHIA DE LISBOA.-Resposta à Naam- en Zaakregister op de Verslagen en Mededeelingen. Jaarboek. 1883. Processen-Verbaal van de Gewone Vergaderingen. Afd. From the ACADEMY.-Boletin de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias en Córdoba. Tom. VIII, Entrega 1a. Atti della Reale Accademia dei Lincei. Serie Quarta. Vol. I, From the ASSOCIATION.-Transactions of the National Association From the SOCIETY.-Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. Vol. XVII, Part 2. Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society. April, 1885. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 1883, 1884. Journal of the Society of Arts. Nos. 1688-1690. Bulletins de la Société d'Anthropologie de Paris. Tom. VII, Bulletin de la Société de Borda, Dax. 1885, No. 1. Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou. Mittheilungen der Anthropologischen Gesellschaft in Wien. Boletim da Sociedade de Geographia de Lisboa. 4a Serie. -- Annual Report of the Council of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society for 1884. From the EDITOR.-"Nature." Nos. 804, 805. Revue d'Ethnographie. 1884, No. 6. Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana. 1884, Nos. 11, 12. Revue Scientifique. Tom. XXXV, No. 13. Revue Politique. Tom. XXXV, No.. 13. The Midland Medical Miscellany. No. 40. The election of the following new members was announced :--JOHN BROWNE, Esq., JAMES G. FRAZER, Esq., M.A., and HELLIER R. H. GOSSELIN, Esq. EXHIBITION of ETHNOLOGICAL OBJECTS from the AKKAS, [WITH PLATE V.] MR. CHARLES H. READ, F.S.A., exhibited on behalf of A. W. Franks, Esq., F.R.S., a small number of personal ornaments from the Akkas or Angkas, a small tribe living on the hills on the northern frontier of Assam, between Bhotan and the Dafla country. A full account of the Akkas is given by the Rev. C. H. Hesselmeyer in the "Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal," Vol. XXXVII, p. 194. From this it appears that the name by which they call themselves is not Akka but Hrusso, and that their traditions point to their having immigrated from the plains. Mr. Hesselmeyer's account is so easy of access to members of the Institute that it would not be worth while to repeat the facts here. The reason, however, why it has been thought desirable to figure some of the specimens exhibited, is that in 1866-7 the number of Akkas then living was but a thousand souls, and the probability is that even if their numbers do not greatly decrease, they may disappear as a tribe. It should be premised that the objects figured are probably not all of Akka manufacture, for though they are industrious husbandmen, their manufactures are very few. These objects greatly resemble the ornaments worn by some of the Nagas of Assam, but there seem differences in form and detail, and in most cases the Akkas would carry off the palm for elegance of form and perfection of finish. All the specimens figured have since been presented to the British Museum by Mr. Franks. The Council is indebted for this Plate to the kindness of A. W. Franks, Esq., M.A., F.R.S. Explanation of Plate V. Fig. 1. A dha, resembling the Naga form. The blade is bevelled at the edge on one side only, and is somewhat concave on the other. A wooden handle bound with plaited cord, over which a binding of bright yellow strips of leaf, producing a lozenge pattern. Fig. 2. Necklace, of beads of green, blue, and yellow glass; bugles of white shell, and long pointed and facetted beads of cornelian; the ends are formed of sections of a large white shell slightly ornamented with dots. Fig. 3. Double necklace made entirely of beads of white shell; one necklace consists of graduated cylinders, the other of discs of shell alternating with similar cylinders. At the upper end of the necklace is a circular piece of shell with a border of circles containing dots, and attached to this is a section of a large white shell, pierced for suspension at the two points. This resembles a similar ornament worn by the Nagas on the nape of the neck, and is apparently worn in the same position. Fig. 4. Necklace resembling Fig. 2. The small beads in this are all of glass, chiefly of an opaque jasper-like red; the bugles and the ornaments at each end are of white shell. Fig. 5. Armlet of plaited rattan, mixed with strips of bright yellow leaf; below are two rows of coix seeds, and from the edge springs a double fringe of hair, the upper half being red, and the lower hangs to twice the length and is black. Fig. 6. Head band. A broad strip of brass, with slight punched ornament consisting of a scalloped border, and at each end a triangular design with spiral terminations. To this is fastened a section of white shell, similar to that of Fig. 3, and which in this instance would be worn on the back of the head. The following paper was read by the author: |