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Below this was discovered a second series or stratum of human remains, quite different in character from those first unearthed, and of far greater antiquity. These consisted chiefly of stone and bone made implements (harpoons, arrow-heads, etc.), and had evidently been manufactured for purposes of defence, and for hunting and fishing, before the use of metals was known, as there was an entire absence of coins and articles of skilled workmanship.

Who shall say when these rude implements were made? Not less, in all probability, than five thousand years ago! It was certainly before the historic period, and may possibly have been contemporary with the lacustrian dwellings of Switzerland, when men were compelled to build their huts on piles driven into the lakes as a protection from wild beasts and from their still more savage fellow-men.

We can only form surmises as to the kind of old world inhabitants who then dwelt in our land. All we can learn from the few relics they have left behind induces us to conclude that they were in a very low, uncivilized condition. They lived by the chase and by fishing, and probably were far less advanced in many ways than the savages who live in Africa and the South Sea archipelagoes at the present day. We have no reason, however, to suppose that these people were cannibals, so that in that respect at least they were superior to our modern savages.

This last point is of some consolation when remembering that we are speaking of our own ancestors: for let it not be forgotten that these poor cave-dwellers were at one time the aborigines of Great Britain, and for anything we know to the contrary, we vainglorious Englishmen may be their direct lineal descendants! It is important, therefore, to give them as clean a bill of morality as possible! On the whole, perhaps, it is as well not to inquire too curiously into our ancestral history, or our pride and reverence for genealogical pedigree may receive a rather rude shock! The men of those times belonged to what is now known as the Neolithic or New Stone age, so called in contradistinction to the still older races who lived in the Paleolithic or Old Stone age.

To obtain any records of these latter races we must leave the Victoria Cave, which we have been describing, and investigate some other spots of immensely older date. We must also go back in idea an almost indefinite period of time. The Paleolithic man might in fact truly boast that his family was "older than the hills," for since the time that he hunted the mammoth or the woolly rhinoceros the very outlines of our world's physical features have been changed. Great Britain did not then exist as a separate island, but formed part

of the main continent of Europe. Its climate was semi-tropical, and its dense forests were inhabited by savage animals, such as now are only found in the wilds of Africa, or have disappeared from the world altogether. Here roamed the mighty mammoth and the stealthy hyena. The tiger and cave bear (creatures of enormous proportions) stalked with impunity over our Somersetshire hills or Yorkshire wolds; spots which are inhabited to-day by nothing more dangerous than the fox or weasel.

Possibly some of our readers may at some time have visited the caves at Banwell, in Somersetshire, where the bones of thousands of animals are piled up in great heaps as a ghastly memento of a prehistoric world. A very fine collection of the bones of the larger mammalia was also to be seen there until within the last few years. Mr. Beard, a man of humble origin, but considerable ability, had devoted his attention to the study of Paleontology, and had accumulated a vast number of these old world bones, which were stored in his own cottage, and exhibited to such of the public as cared to interest themselves in such relics. Since the death of the old "professor " (as he dubbed himself) they have been removed to the museum at Taunton, and are well worth a visit, as forming probably the finest collection of the sort in this country.

But to return to our Paleolithic friends, those fine old English gentlemen who would probably have looked down upon the Neolithic races as a set of mere parvenu upstarts! It appears at first sight incredible that these worthies can actually have been contemporary with the mammoth. Yet such was evidently the case; for in the recent investigations of Kent's Hole in Devonshire, and Wookey's Hole near Wells (not to mention a number of other caves in France and Belgium, etc.), unmistakable evidence has been brought forward in confirmation of the fact. Their bones are found lying together intermingled with numerous flint implements, which had evidently been used by the men of those remote days in defending themselves against the savage beasts which disputed possession of the.caves with them. These flint implements, or "celts," as they are technically called, have been collected in great numbers, and may be seen in most of our museums.

They were evidently the only form of weapon then known, and must have proved a very insufficient set-off against the teeth and claws of the tiger or bear. No doubt, therefore, many of our forefathers must have fallen victims to the savage animals of those days. Let us think of them tenderly!

As in the case of the later races, we can form but little idea of the

character of the Paleolithic men; nor do we even know that they were the earliest representatives of the human race.

There is, however, reason to believe that in some respects they were higher in the scale of humanity than some of the subsequent races. For amongst the various relics which have been collected from the Drift and from various caves are some remarkable instances of sculptured reindeer's antlers, containing outlined likenesses of reindeer, horses, etc. The most striking of all these is that of a mammoth engraved on a fragment of its own tusk, and evidently drawn from life. Some of these drawings are full of artistic feeling, and would seem conclusive not only as to the great antiquity of our race, but also of the fact that these early races were at least intellectually superior to some of their degenerate descendants. If this be true, what becomes of the vaunted doctrine of Evolution as propounded by Darwin and his followers?

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May we not fairly presume that a more intimate acquaintance with our own species might confirm the belief that in that far-off "golden age," when every thing was pronounced by the great Creator to be very good," man was in very truth "made a little lower than the angels," and entered on the world's great stage a guileless, yet withal simple and childlike, being? When this marvellous birth of mankind took place, and through what specific agency, we know not, and probably can never know; but we may safely assert that such an event could only be brought about by some special creative interposition of the Divine Providence.

Swedenborg informs us that "the end and object of creation was that an angelic heaven might be formed from the human race." Perhaps nothing grander was ever uttered, and it would surely be impossible to conceive a more glorious purpose, or a greater proof of the Divine love. How poor, therefore, how degrading, are some of the theories of modern scientists as to man's origin!

Professor Darwin in one of his works deliberately maintains that man was originally produced (evolved) through the medium of "an old world anthropoid ape." Unfortunately for his speculation, no trace of this wonderful progenitor has ever been discovered, and we may at present, therefore, not unfairly conclude that it exists only in the professor's own brain. Indeed, the most recent avowals of men of science are distinctly opposed to the evolution theory as understood in its obvious and literal sense.

The celebrated human skull, found some years ago in the cave of Engis, near Liége, is perhaps the oldest known relic of pre-historic physiology. We have Professor Huxley's authority for asserting that

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in its external outline it differs in no way from human skulls of the present day. He thus describes it: "It is of average size, and presents no marks of degradation, and is, in fact, a fair average skull, which might have belonged to a philosopher, or might have contained the thoughtless brains of a savage."

A still more striking avowal was recently made by one of our greatest modern luminaries in natural science, Professor Virchow of the University of Berlin. In a discourse delivered at Munich before the Conference of German naturalists he thus expressed himself with reference to the doctrine of Evolution. After carefully warning his hearers not to base their belief upon theories which have only been partially investigated, he says: "I am bound to declare that every positive advance which we have made in the province of pre-historic anthropology has actually removed us further from the proof that man had ancestors among apes or other vertebrate animals. When we study the fossil man of the Quaternary period, who must, of course, have stood comparatively near our primitive ancestors in the series of descent, or rather of ascent, we always find a man just such as men are now." And again, with reference to our old friends the Troglodytes, he says: "The old Troglodytes, pile-villagers, and bogpeople appear to have been quite a respectable people. They had heads so large that many a living person would be only too happy to possess such. On the whole, we must acknowledge that there is a complete absence of any fossil type of a lower stage in the development of man." And once more, as to the monkey theory: "One thing I must say, that not a single fossil skull of an ape or of an anthropoid ape has yet been found that could really have belonged to a human being. As a matter of fact, we must positively recognise that as yet there always exists a sharp line of demarcation between man and the ape."

After this may we not fairly take courage, and decline emphatically to acknowledge the gorilla or any of his hairy congeners as amongst our most distant country cousins? Betwixt them and us is a huge chasm fixed, which no disciple of Darwin will ever be able to bridge until the relation between spiritual and natural things is more clearly recognised; and until it is seen that no ascent or evolution from lower to higher forms of life can occur, except through the orderly unfolding of spiritual laws in the Lord's own time and way. Into this subject, however, we will not now enter. The chief purpose of this paper has been suggestive rather than dogmatic or scientific.

We have endeavoured briefly to trace the primitive history of our Troglodyte ancestors so far as can be gathered from the few relics of

their existence. It is a subject of much obscurity, yet full of most interesting suggestions: carrying us back, at least in idea, to the very origin and cradling-place of the human race, and realizing the truth of the poet's assertion, that

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A PROBLEM IN SPIRITUAL PSYCHOLOGY.

READERS,-A sensitive, self-distrustful, and retiring soul, with a dread of personal public appearance, and poorly endowed with this world's goods, commissioned me some time ago to bring out, as circumstances should permit, and under my name as Editor, a manuscript in which he had reflected his inmost experiences. Not being so thinskinned about putting my name in type in a secondary or in any capacity, I undertook the open editing; but as I have a fair share of other work to do, the danger at present is that between his shyness and my busy-ness the Book may never see the light at all-which, looking at the matter as a critic, though possibly a critic biassed by friendship, I think would be decidedly a pity, for the thing seems to me to be one of the kind that is much wanted at present. I judged therefore that a chapter transcribed as an article occasionally might be serving the double purpose of benefiting you, and of bringing a hidden word, in part at least, to the light.-Yours, with good wishes, THOMAS CHILD.

CHAPTER XXII.

A famine in the land,--not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water.

THAT mental unrest known to religionists as anxiety for the soul's salvation of which I had become the subject, continued with increasing intensity for two months longer, fostered, we may readily believe, though by no means caused, by the want of daily occupation, and developing at last into a life-and-death struggle for spiritual freedom. Its cause lay deeper than my individual environment, even including in that environment the all-enwrapping atmosphere of belief in

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