GALCHAS, gill'chaz. The designation of a number of tribes in the plateaus and valleys of the Pamir and Hindu Rush, in Ferghana, the basins of the Zerafshan, Amu Darya, etc., who physically belong to the white race, and linguis tically to the Aryan stock. They are generally thick-set, brachycephalic, and in some other re spects resemble what Ripley (1899) calls "the ideal Alpine or Celtic European race"—a rela tionship recognized by Topinard in 1878, and since then by Ujfalvy, etc. They are thus one of the farthest Aryan outliers in Central Asia. In relig ion they profess, mostly, Islam of the Sunnite creed. Since their residence in this region their physical characteristics have been somewhat modi fied by intermixture with other peoples of the en vironment. Keane (1896) ranks the language of the Galchas as an independent branch of the Aryan family; some other authorities make it more nearly akin to the Iranian tongues. The anthropology of the Galchas has been discussed by Ujfalvy in the Revue d'Anthropologie for 1879, and the Bulletins de la Societe d'Anthro pologie de Paris for 1887, and more briefly by Ripley in his Races of Europe (New York, 1899).
GALDoS, gill-dos', BENITO PEREZ-. See PE REZ-GALDOS, BENITO.
GALE (probably connected with Dan. gal, Icel. galinn, furious, from gala, to chant). A strong wind varying in velocity (according to the technical classification) from 18.5 to 32 miles per hour; the corresponding wind pressures are 1.5 and 4.5 pounds per square foot. Gales are de scribed as moderate, fresh, and strong, or whole gales. On sailing ships, ordinarily, very little sail is carried in gales; when they are very strong, only elose-reefed topsails, staysail and spanker. if running with the wind free, a close reefed foresail may also be set. In fresh or moderate gales more sail is carried. See WIND; BEAUFORT SCALE.