so I became aware of my sister—lying without
sense or movement on the bare boards where
she had been knocked down by a tremendous
blow on the back of the head, dealt by some
unknown hand when her face was turned towards
the fire— destined never to be on the Rampage
again while she was wife of Joe.

EARLIEST MAN.

A QUARTER of a century ago, even the most
scientific minds were quite made up as to the
question of human fossils. It was decided,
once for all, that human fossils did not exist;
and that any facts in favour of such a doctrine,
which tended to upset a very satisfactory state
of credence, would, require a troublesome
explanation, and were to be ignored. If that
proved ineffectual, they were to be assigned to
hasty generalisation, jumping at conclusions,
&c. It is true that some few of those most
favourably placed for hearing the first ground-swell
of any little storm brewing, were not altogether
satisfied; but the scientific world was quite at
its ease. It had formed its decision, and was not
in the least disposed to bother its scientific head
further about the matter. Indeed, as has been
most pertinently remarked, it is very disagree-
able to have one's conclusions overturned. " The
first impulse of human nature," says ANSTED,
"is to put the unlucky discovery on one side—
say nothing about it; most likely it will not
bear investigating, and, therefore, don't let's
have the trouble of investigating it."

What a pity that such a comfortable state of
things cannot always endure! The plan of pooh-
poohing anything is so extremely convenient, so
satisfactory to one side at least, so warranted
by precedent and authority, is always
supported by such very respectable persons, and
requires so little exertion of the intellect, that
only a very troublesome person, a sort of atheist,
in fact, would be guilty of trying to disturb it.

This is precisely what the scientific world felt
when a very troublesome French gentleman— M.
BOUCHER DE PERTHES—wanted it to believe that
certain remains of man were to be found in the
gravel. Scientific World said it was impossible;
that the long interval of time between the
deposition of this stratum, and that in which it
is certain man existed, the destruction of so
many races of animals in the intervening period
without a trace of man, were quite opposed
to it. All the human fossils as yet found
were clearly of modern origin, and the greatest
thinkers were quite of opinion that the gravel
had been deposited ages before man was created;
Professor Oolite had laughed at the idea
that Sir Protogin Felspar couldn't see how
the author was to make his theory out. M. de
Perthes replied that he had positive proofs that
remains left by man had been found in the
gravel; he figured some hundreds of them very
carefully, and published the figures in an octavo
volume. Nay, he offered to show his specimens
to the geological pundits of Paris. He could
not even obtain a hearing. Scientific World,
not being able to confute this obstinate heretic,
and not being in a position to burn him alive or
to break him on the wheel, took the only course
that remained. It refused to read his book. And
a translation of part of it, which appeared at
Liverpool, fell still-born from the press.

It was only in 1858 (eleven years after the
said publication) that MR. BRISTON, of the
Geological Survey, and DR. FALCONER, on carefully
examining a cavern at Brixham, in Devon,
found, along with the remains of the great
cavern below, sculptured flints, such as are
used by savages for lance and spear heads.
Some of these were brought to London by Mr.
Pengelly, who gave a lecture on them at the
Royal Institution. In Sicily, Dr. Falconer
also discovered in the borre breccia " a
vast abundance of flint and agate knives.'*
Scientific World did not like this, and
endeavoured to show that they might be formed
by "violent and long-continued gyration in
water," which is about as possible as that they
might have been shot at the earth by the man
in the moon or the inhabitants of Saturn ; or
that they had been made by steam in
antediluvian times, and buried in the gravel in order
to mystify the learned.

M. Boucher de Perthes was now rapidly
getting the upper hand, and, not satisfied with
alarming Scientific World, he had it put upon its
trial. He found the worn handles of wood and
horn formerly attached to these spear and
arrow heads. Scientific World winced, and would
have persuaded people it had all along been
convinced of the truth of these interesting
discoveries; but it was too late. The investigations
of Dr. Rigollot, Mr. Flower, and, still more,
of Mr. Prestwich, who went, an unwilling
observer, and was convinced when he saw the
flint-beds of St. Acheul, of MM. Gandry, and
George Pouchet, entirely confirmed M. de Perthes'
view. Scientific World was found guilty, and
condemned to death. Before execution, it
confessed to having been guilty of the same crime
sixty-two years ago, when Mr. John Frere
published in England an account of similar objects
found in the gravel of Hoxne, in Suffolk, below
the sand, containing marine shells and gigantic
land animals. Last dying speech and confession
of Scientific World was published by Professors
OWEN and ANSTED and SIR CHARLES LYELL,
who assisted at the mournful ceremony.

We are now told that the existence of
these old stone instruments, instead of being a
myth, is an every-day affair. In England they
are found from Cape Wrath to Land's End,
from Galway to Yarmouth; and Mr. Keating,
whose long stay in Upper Canada, in the
neighbourhood of Lakes Superior and Huron, gave
him ample means of acquiring information, says
that it is quite a common thing to disinter them
in that part of the world, and that the Indians
profess to be totally ignorant of their use. We
shall presently see that they are found in very
distant parts of America. Professor Owen says
that the flint weapons found in the gravel were