There was a large attendance at Thursday afternoon's meeting the Royal Asiatic Society to hear Mr. Robert Powell deliver a lecture of the "He Miao of China" (Aborigines of the Southwest). Dr. Arthur Stanley, president of the Society, occupied the chair.
"It is estimated that there are between 20 to 50 million Miao people," said Mr. Powell. "Of these there are some 70,000 who are under Christian instruction. They are divided into different classes—Black, Red, White, Flowery, and Water. The Black Miao are distinguished by their dark or sombre clothes; the Red Miao by their red trimmings; the White also by their trimmings; and the Flowery by their flowery dress."
The speaker went on to say that the Miao are not akin to the Chinese. Their language is entirely different from that of the Chinese in construction, idiom, mode of thought and expression.
It is limited and is not} nearly as extensive as the Chinese. Since coming into contract with the Chinese, many Chinese words and phrases have been imported. while the Miao idioms have had also some effect on the Chinese language.
In describing their customs, Mr. Powell said that Miao people' were very hospitable. There are no inns to be found in their part of the country, but if one reaches a strange place at night, any house or its inmates will welcome the stranger and take him in for the night.
Mr. Powel) showed a number of lantern views, and from these, it was readily seen that the scenery of the districts where Mr. Powell is working is some of the best in China. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the speaker.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.