34 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Cambridge observes, in the tenth annual report : "Dr. Abbott has 

 probably obtained data which show that man existed on our Atlantic 

 coast during the time of, if not prior to, the formation of the great gravel 

 deposit which extends toward the coast from the Delaware River, near 

 Trenton, and believed to have been formed by glacial action. From a 

 visit to the locality with Dr. Abbott, I see no reason to doubt the gen- 

 eral conclusion he has reached in regard to the existence of man in 

 glacial times on the Atlantic coast of North America." 



The support given to Dr. Abbott's conclusions by investigators 

 stamps them as of high interest, while his own arguments are entitled 

 to the same respectful consideration. Several of his observations are 

 not easily set aside. For instance, he says, " if the same age is ascribed 

 to these i^aleolithic implements and the ordinary Indian relics," then, 

 as already asked, " how could the one series become imbedded, often 

 to great depths, and not representatives of any class of weaj^ons, do- 

 mestic utensils and ornaments ?" It would, indeed, be a singular opera- 

 tion of Nature, that selected one class of relics only for preservation. 

 The conclusion is, " that in the essentially unmodified debris of the 

 terminal moraine in central New Jersey, and in others upon the sur- 

 face (which, however, are in part only of more recent origin), it is 

 shown that the occupancy of this portion of our continent by man ex- 

 tends back into the history of our globe, in all probability to even an 

 earlier date than the great ice age ; and that the maximum severity of 

 the climate did not destroy hira ; and that subsequently he tenanted 

 our seacoast and river-valleys, until a stronger and more warlike race 

 drove him from our shores." 



It is not the purpose of the Avriter, however, to attempt to add any- 

 thing to the argument, especially as he is assured that the question 

 now seems to concern the probability of man having existed in Amer- 

 ica prior to the glacial period. We, therefore, take the evidence as it 

 stands, leaving its strengthening or overturning, as the event may 

 prove, to the future, aiming in this article to give a fuller illustration 

 than has heretofore been attempted of the agreement of the theory 

 with accepted history ; for, possibly, it may eventually appear that the 

 glacial man is more closely connected with historic man than could 

 have been expected. 



Professor Marsh observes, that " the evidence, as it stands to-day, 

 although not conclusive, seems to place the first appearance of man in 

 this country in the Pliocene," adding that " the best proofs of this are 

 found upon the Pacific coast." The proofs, however, are a little 

 shadowy, consisting of a stray bone or two, instead of stone axes and 

 arrow-heads ; though it is clearer that some of the first inhabitants, 

 whenever they came, entered from Asia by Behring Strait, the de- 

 struction of the miocene bridge, which once existed there, not imped- 

 ing their advance. It is unnecessary, however, to suppose that the 

 glacial man was unable to find his way westward from Central EurojDe. 



