posed for membership were read and referred to the executive committee.

In lieu of the customary paper, Mr. Moore, the Librarian, read a communication from Mr. Bancroft, being a sketch of Captain Littel, a participant in the War of the Revolution. Also an interesting communication entitled "An incident in the War of 1812."

Mr. Bancroft offered a few remarks, recommending the putting forth of an effort to increase the "Art Gallery" of the Society, by the purchase of valuable works of art. He offered a glowing tribute of praise to the efficient president of the Society, hoping that his successful career might be greatly prolonged, characterized by the additional success of the art department of the institution. He spoke highly in praise of the New York school of artists, who, he said, were second to none in the world in landscape painting. A brief description of Brevoort's "Murillo" was given by Mr. Bradish, and a motion of Mr. Bancroft to take measures to increase the collection of paintings, was carried. Judge Kirtland, on the part of Mr. Mann, presented memorials of Baron Steuben, being the original will-a curious document -and the original title of 16,000 acres of land given the baron by the State of New York, signed by George Clinton, governor, in 1786. Also other papers of the baron. The Society tendered thanks to Mr. Mann.

An original deed, made by Brant and wife, were acknowledged by the Society, from Mr. Andrew Wilson.

The Society acknowledged the receipt, from the Iowa Agricultural Society, of a complete set of their Reports, in bound volumes. Also, other works, official and historical, and engravings from other sources, to be placed in the library department.

Rev. Henry Hart Milburn, dean of St. Paul's, was elected an honorary member. Several names were then presented as candidates for resident membership.

The chair introduced Gov. Hall, of Vermont, who read the paper of the evening, the subject matter of which was a narration of the controversy between New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York, on the rights of boundary. He recalled to mind the historically-recorded acts of the Colonial Assembly of 1783, and the Vermont claims, in 1780, in reply to those preferred by the State of New York on their right of boundary property, having a close bearing upon the subject. He related the connection of the Dutch and English with the controversy, and briefly sketched its progress to the time of its settlement by treaty, five years afterwards.

Mr. Brodhead moved a vote of thanks be given to Gov. Hall, which were voted.

A committee of five persons were appointed to superintend the nominations for officers of the Society at the next annual meeting.

The chair announced that the entire celebrated Abbott collection had been removed to the gallery of the Society after much labor, resulting, however, in no damage to it. Much yet has to be done, such as providing glass cases and other preparations for their exhibition, which would take place at the next meeting, until which time the gallery, in consequence, would be closed.

He then introduced a few remarks on the quietness of the election, denying the aspersions of the foreign press upon American self-control. The quietness of the day gave us still further evidence that we are one country, and Washington our great head. The resolutions on the decease of Mr. Peale and Mr. Halstead were adopted unanimously.

The Society then adjourned.

Dec. 5.-A stated meeting was held on Tuesday evening. Rev. Dr. De Witt occupied the chair, in the absence of Hon. Luther Bradish, President.

talent in the trade with the British West Indies.

Notice was then taken of the death of Peter Stuyvesant, which occurred on the 15th of November. He was alluded to as a benefactor to the Society. He was a descendant of the old governor. His farm was on the Bowery, and he lived near St. Mark's church. A genealogy of his family was read, tracing his family connections through five generations.

Mr. E. C. Benedict moved that an annual volume of all current donations to the Society, be kept for public inspection. Referred to executive committee with power. Adjourned.

ULSTER HISTORICAL SOCIETY.-Stone Ridge, Oct. 16, 1860.-The Society met at the Reformed Dutch Church, on the above date, the President in the chair, and the exercises opened with prayer

by the Rev. John L. McNair. The minutes of the June meeting were read, and after a correction by the President of a slight error, formally approved.

Several letters about donations and acknowledgments for elections to memberships, were read.

The Secretary offered the usual report. It stated that the members of the executive committee had given a good deal of care and attention to the appropriation of the Ulster County Board of Supervisors, for preserving the records in the Clerk's office; they had unanimously agreed to commence with the earliest record books in the office. Vol. i., containing the Dutch records of the Esopus jurisdiction for 1660 to 1664, had been collected, arranged, and bound, by Mr. Chipp, of Kingston, and volumes ii. and iii. of the same set are in progress; and it is hoped these volumes may be laid before the Supervisors, at their next session. The committee will take scrupulous care that all of the original book is preserved, and propose to cause the pages to be numbered, blank leaves inserted wherever pages are missing, and in front of the book will concisely state the condition and contents of the book, as found by them. The books will be styled the "Esopus Records," and a printed title-page to each volume, with the indication of the language in which it is written, and the date comprehended in each book has been prepared. This work is of the utmost importance; these records are among the earliest in America, and the committee venture to say that none had been so carelessly left to neglect. In order to see that the books are perfect, an immense mass of papers in the Clerk's office had to be examined, which, with the cost of binding, &c., would exhaust the appropriation of the Supervisors, and an additional one must be asked for.

The report further stated that the papers and documents of the Society were now deposited in a proper place in the Surrogate's office, at Kingston, where they could be consulted with convenience, and under proper safeguards for their security. The work of arranging the marriage records of the First Dutch Church of Kingston, and the materials for another part of our "Collections, was progressing favorably, and the committee hoped to issue it shortly.

On motion of Edmund Eltinge, Esq., the thanks of the Society were voted to the Supervisors of Ulster county for their appropriation, and the committee was directed to solicit them to continue the work.

Mr. Eltinge, from the committee to examine the papers of the "Twelve Men of New Paltz," read a very full report of the contents of these valuable papers, and the meeting resolved that

the executive committee should take measures to procure copies of them for the Society.

Mr. Jansen gave notice that he would move to amend the Constitution so as to change the time of meetings to the third Monday in May, and third Tuesday in October.

Col. Pratt exhibited some curious Indian deeds, and crown grants for land on the Mohawk river, dated about 1729.

The President asked the meaning of Lapalla, the true spelling of which he could not guarantee, a district in the town of Marbletown. The Rev. Mr. Jansen had never heard any explanation of the name.

An old Dutch Bible, with massive clasps, belonging to Thomas Vandemark, of Marbletown, was shown to the members. It had the family records of the Vandemarks, from 1719 to 1825.

The President urged attention to the meaning of our local names, and mentioned the tract of land in Warwarsing, called Sue Betty, which was only a corruption from the name of a former French owner.

Mr. Archibald Russell moved a committee to examine and report what steps should be taken to preserve the burial-places of this district. He said that it was an ancient custom of the Dutch families, to bury on their farms, and that an immense number of these small burial-places existed: they were liable to be ploughed down in the change of owners. The Rev. Mr. Stitt agreed with Mr. Russell, that something ought to be done to preserve the resting-places of the dead from the desecration they were in more than one locality encountering. He related one or two instances which occurred within his immediate knowledge, and urged that the respect men owed to their "flesh and blood,” called for action. The Society could most properly act, and it should do so. The resolution passed, and Messrs. Russell, Stitt, and Pratt, were appointed a committee to report at a future meeting.

Mr. Bernard, the Treasurer, offered the annual report. Read, and referred to the usual committee.

The Rev. Mr. Stitt said that he had nearly completed his paper on the New Paltz Church organization, &c.-that he had brought it along with him in its present state. In deference to his wishes, the reading was postponed to suit his convenience.

The Rev. Mr. Jones read a paper upon the Minsi Indians, to which race the Esopus Indians belonged. He spoke of their language, and illustrated several of the names of localities in the vicinity. It was referred to the executive committee, and will no doubt be printed by the Society. The President remarked that Mr. Jones'

THE AMERICAN ETHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY.— New York, Oct. 9, 1860.-This Society held a regular meeting on the above date, at the residence of Charles F. Loosey, Esq.; the President, Hon. Geo. Folsom, in the chair.

By invitation of Mr. Loosey, the Austrian Minister, the Minister for Bremen, the British Consulgeneral, the Brazilian Consul-general, the French Consul, Mr. Heeley, of Washington, Mr. Withaus, and Mr. Laroque, were present.

The Museum was destroyed by fire, and on the same spot, Forbes' Theatre was erected, and opened in September, 1854. This also was burnt, in 1858. In 1859, Messrs. Varrey & Arnold opened the Pine-street Theatre, in what was formerly the Second Baptist Church. Adjourned.

Nov. 30.-The regular monthly meeting was held, this evening, at the Cabinet, on Watermanstreet, Hon. Samuel G. Arnold, Vice-president, in the chair.

After the reading of the records of the last meeting, donations were announced from Wm. G. Williams; Wm. P. Blodgett; Providence Mechanics' Association; Connecticut Historical Society; Samuel G. Drake, of Boston; town of Gloucester, Mass.; S. C. Newman; John M. Cargill; and Don Bartolome Mitre, of Buenos Ayres. Mr. Amos Perry read a paper on the life and services of Dr. Albigence Waldo, a surgeon in the army of the Revolution. A statement of facts and incidents connected with the life of a true patriot and a skilful physician, was listened to with marked interest. Dr. Waldo was presented in the light of his own writings. The champion of liberty, the skilful surgeon, and the friend of Washington-spoke directly in prose and verse, gratifying and instructing auditors far removed from him by time and place. Remains of a diary, kept by Dr. Waldo, at Valley Forge, during the winter of 1777-8, were read, and their appearance in the pages of the Historical Magazine, may be anticipated with pleasure. He possessed powers of expression, dry humor, and clearness of perception, that were peculiarly favorable to him as a writer and delineator of the scenes and events of his times.

A sword, presented to Dr. Waldo by Gen. Washington, and numerous curious documents and instruments, were exhibited to the audience. Mr. Perry received the thanks of the Society for his interesting paper, and for his services in bringing to view such valuable writings.

Gold Images from the Chiriqui Graveyards.

cient graves of Chiriqui, kindly loaned by Mr. J. F. Bateman, of Panama, were carefully examined, and with the greater interest, as they seemed to be likely to be the last specimens of the kind, as no gold has been discovered for some time.

The articles differed very much in size and form; a cricket, a frog, a sea-shell, and a man, each from one to two inches in length, and an ounce or two in weight; a tiger, or jaguar, five ounces, and an alligator eight and a half ounces (the heaviest and largest figure seen here); and a circular piece of sheet-gold about six inches in diameter, weighing one and a half ounces, with holes, apparently for a suspending string.

Mr. Squier believes the alloys are natural, as the gold mines on the Isthmus have some silver on the Pacific side, and those on the east, copper.

Dr. Davis read an account of the melting and assaying of five lots of gold plates and images, which showed that they varied between 117 and 213 carats fine.

The 17th volume of "Bulletin de la Société de Géographie" was received from Paris through the President.

The three African boys brought to this city some weeks ago, from a deserted slave-vessel, taken by one of our ships on our Southern coast, have been ascertained by our associate, Rev. J. L. Wilson, to be from Congo. He visited them in the Eldridge-street jail, and heard them speak sufficiently to recognize their language, which is cognate with Mpongwe.

A copy of the first book ever printed in the Sherbro language, north of Liberia, was presented from Lewis Tappan, Esq., Treasurer of the American Missionary Society.

A translation was read of the "Letter in the Vey language" (west coast of Africa, near Coke Mount), which was presented at the last meeting. The translation, given by a negro skilled in the alphabet, is published in the Spirit of Missions.

The five Africans in Boston, for public exhibition, have been seen by Mr. Gulick, who mentioned that Professor Agassiz has received information from the Cape of Good Hope, that two of them are Hottentots, and three Caffres. A young lady, daughter of a missionary, was present, and

addressed the former in their own language; and they expressed, with animated gestures, the highest joy and surprise.

A paper on "Inhabited Caverns," by Professor Amarelli, of Philadelphia, formerly of Naples, was read by Dr. Spencer. The writer said that, in reading Homer, in his early youth, he had supposed his account of the Cimmerians fabulous; but, in his travels, he had found people dwelling in caverns in Spain, Sicily, and Syria. The inhabited caves in Granada, Ispica, Caritoun, in those countries respectively, were described in a very distinct and interesting manner.

Several short papers were read by the Recording Secretary. In one of these, on the importance of introducing an abridged Alphabet into common use, it was remarked "that much of the time and space required to write the numerals, one, two, three, &c., are saved by substituting the old Arabic characters, 1, 2, 3, &c., and much more saving is made in writing higher numbers, as 121, 1860, &c. Every body knows this, and the substitution is often made, because all learn to write figures, as well as words. Such is the power of habit, however, that few persons ever adopt any system for abridging the labor of writing other expressions, or of simplifying the forms of our common letters.

A notice was read of the "Economo-statistical Atlas of Russia in Europe," with an explanatory volume, presented to the Society by J. de Nottbeck, Esq., Russian Consul-general. The Atlas contains the Map of Russia in Europe ten times repeated, on as many large sheets, with lines, tints, and colors, indicating to the eye the following facts, with references and explanations

in Russian and French:

1. Limits of the culture of certain plants. 2. System of culture, manufacture of Hemp and flax, and culture of beets for sugar. 3. Distribution of forests. 4. Trade in grains. 5. Average grain harvests. 6. Average prices of grains. 7. Finewooled sheep. 8. Number of horses. 9. Of oxen. 10. Trade in animals.

A paper was read on preparing types by nicking or notching the face, to express with precision the sounds of foreign words.

Mr. Squier read a letter from Mr. Edmund Crashaw, of St. Louis, giving an account of some excavations he had made in one of the smaller mounds of the Cahokia bottom, opposite St. Louis. Near the summit of this mound, Mr. Crashaw had found a skeleton lying horizontally, and greatly decayed. Mr. Squier observed, that the position of the body in the mound would lead him to infer that it was of no recent deposit. Dr. Davis reported from the Committee on Antiquities, the list of articles to be sent to the Royal | Museum of Copenhagen, in return for donations. HIST. MAG. VOL. V. 8

Notes and Queries.

NOTES.

A MILITARY HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY.-A correspondent asks:

"Has there ever appeared a purely military history of the American Revolution? Mr. Dawson's excellent work covers the ground, but with a singular deficiency of plans and maps. Would with well-executed maps and plans, remunerate not a work, that combined Mr. Dawson's text an enterprising publisher?"

His note contains the following suggestion which we commend to the consideration of the various historical societies in the country. The War Department could not render a greater service to history than that here adverted to; and we may indulge the hope that it will be done before the face of the battle-fields is so completely changed as to defy recognition.

"For myself, I may say that I have been greatly perplexed in reading accounts of the battles of the Revolution, for want of adequate drawings of the fields and of the positions of the contending armies. It might be a worthy occupation at this day, while the local traditions are still fresh and reliable, for the War Department to detail a commission of accomplished and competent officers to examine those fields and make surveys of them, exhibiting their topography as it then stood in relation to it as it now stands; and to make the proper drawings in illustration of military operations upon those fields.

J. P J.