Abstract
THE fourth Annual Report of the Trustees of the Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology has made its appearance, and presents a gratifying picture of the progress of this great establishment. The most important additions during the year have been a collection of stone implements from Cape Cod presented by Mr. Samuel H. Russell, a series of duplicates from the Christie collection of London, and specimens obtained from explorations in Tennessee by Mr. Dunning, and in Central America by Dr. Berendt. These are supplemented by numerous single donations of greater or less value. In the course: of some critical observations upon the specimens received by the Museum, attention is called to the great value of a collection of crania and human bones obtained from certain mounds in Kentucky by Mr. S. S. Lyon, in the course of explorations made under the combined auspices of the Smithsonian Institution and of the Peabody Museum. The peculiarities of the crania of the American Indians have already been referred to by various writers, but some curious facts are detailed in the report in regard to other portions of the skeleton. Thus the ulna and radius, as compared with the humerus, were found to be much larger in the mound Indians, while the length of the tibia, as compared with the femur, is longer in the whites. In quite an unusual number of Indian skeletons the two fosses at the lower end of the humerus were found to communicate, producing a perforation. This feature, rarely met with in the white races, occurs quite frequently in the mound remains, while in the black race it appears to be still more frequent. An additional peculiarity of the mound bones consists in the flattening of the tibia, which, until the date of the present publication, has not been recorded as occurring in America, although remains from the dolmens of France, the quaternary drift of Clichy, and the burial caves of Cro-Magnon and Gibraltar, exhibit this in a very marked degree. As regards the pelvis, the breadth in the Indian races is found to be less than in the whites, while the three diameters of the brim of the true pelvis are greatest in the Indians. The transverse diameter and the size of the outlet of the pelvis are, much the largest in the Indian, while the sacrum is less curved, supplying conditions which in the process of parturition are more favourable to the Indian women. Ve have already referred at various times to enterprises on the part of 'the Peruvian Government in exploring the lessrknown portions of that country, and we find in late South American journals details of a movement looking toward the examination of the regions of the Ucayale and Urubamba. The object of the expedition is to find a port which will open up to the Department of Cuzco a communication with the main branch of the Amazon, and thence to the Atlantic. The work is to be under the direction of Mr. Tucker, favourably known in similar enter-prises before. The present plan is for Don Raymurido Estrella and another commissioner to start from the port of Illapani in two large canoes, and make their way by the Urubamba to Iquitos, which is the Peruvian naval station on the Amazon. This is for the purpose of obtaining such a knowledge of the rivers as may fit them to serve as pilots to the steamer which is to ascend the Ucayale and explore the Urubamba. They are to make their way back about thirty leagues from Cuzco. —The daily papers of August 29 contain, the latest reports from Captain Hall and his steamer Polaris, in the form of a telegraphic despatch from the United States ship Congress, dated at St. John's, Newfoundland, August 28. It will be remembered that this vessel was detailed by the Secretary of the Navy to carry supplies of provisions and coal to be stored in Greenland for the use of the Arctic expedition. She left St. John's on her outward trip on the 3rd of August; reaching Disco on the loth, passing hundreds of immense icebergs on the way. The Polaris was found at Disco, having reached that place only six days in advance, although she started long before the Congress. Captain Hall and his party were in good spirits, and sanguine of success. The Congress reports that Captain Hall left Disco on the 17th of August for the north, where communication with him will, nf course, be uncertain for some time to come, unless the object of the expedition in reaching the north pole can be accomplished in time to return during the present year. It is understood that instead of going by way of Jones Sound, as was the original intention, Captain Hall will proceed along the eastern side of Smith Sound. By all accounts the water is much more open than for many years past, there being comparatively little drift-ice to bar progress. To the surprise of the officers of the Congiess, the summer temperature of Greenland, was found to be quite elevated, and there was a luxuriant vegetation to be seen around the settlement of Disco. —The Panama papers speak of the great success which several whaling ships are now meeting with in the Bay of Panama, quite a number of whales having been killed there every day for some time past. It is stated that at the time the steamship Chile passed Payta, a school of small whales had been there in such abundance that the boats were afraid to leave the barbour.—We have already referred to the hydrographical and other explorations in Alaska by Mr. William H. Dall, under the patronage of the Coast Survey; and we now learn that he left San Francisco for the north at the end of August, bound direct to Iliuliuk Harbour, Oonalaska, there to go into winter-quarters. It was his intention, according to his instructions, to make use of every favourable opportunity to survey the vicinity of that port, and in March to proceed westward, sounding and surveying as far as Kamtchatka, and then turning north and eastward to Cape Romanzoff, to return to Oonalaska, and thence proceed homeward, The vessel obtained for the expedition, although small, is conveniently adapted for its purpose, and can carry provisions for six months; and it is expected that fresh supplies will be forwarded from San Francisco in March next. The party, besides Mr. Dall, consists of Prof. Harrington, the astronomer, Captain W. G. Hall, sailing-master, with two mates and five men.
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Scientific Intelligence From America* . Nature 4, 454–455 (1871). https://doi.org/10.1038/004454a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/004454a0