NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 47 



the arms and implements of the ancient Britons should be almost identical with 

 those of the ancient race of Indians of this continent. The same siiear-heads, 

 arrow-heads, axes, &c., of the earlier North American Indians are of the same 

 forms as those of the ancient Britains, and they differ only in material. Instead 

 of the constantly occurring flint of the Britons, the North American tribes have 

 used flint more sparingly, and a series of other hard and beautiful stones, sueh 

 as chalcedony, jasper, crystal, &c., for the production of these weapons. To 

 the kinduess of Mr. Franklin Peale, a highly esteemed Member of this Academy, 

 the writer is indebted for a very fine collection of the stone implements and 

 weapons of the North American Indians, Avhich excited surprise to find them so 

 closely approximating to those of the ancient Britons. The truth is the resem- 

 blance now alluded to seems to be confined by no limits of latitude or longitude. 

 The stone weapons and implements from Japan in SiebokVs Museum at Leyden 

 we found to be scarcely distinguishable from the British ; and we have also 

 seen flint spear-heads from New Zealand, not only closely api>roximating the 

 ancient British ones, but actually fashioned with the same number of strokes, 

 given in the self same direction. 



In accordance with the prevailing views on the origin and distribution of 

 man, this extraordinary similarity in the stone weapons and other utensils of 

 such widely distributed races has been ascribed to the distribution of the 

 makers, and the communication of the art. An hypothesis, we believe, out of 

 the limits of possibility by any natural means of difl'usion. Whereas, the simple 

 circumstance that these weapons are all produced by beings of similar jiowers 

 and capacities, having similar wants, and similar objects wherewith to satisfy 

 those wants, is an adequate explanation of the phenomenon ; and according to 

 all right principles of philosophy should be admitted at once. 



That the ancient Britons adopted the flexed or crouching posture in the in- 

 terment of the dead, just as the Indian races of America, we have abundant evi- 

 dence. This again is a practice generally diffused among all uncivilized races, 

 the aborigines of Australia adopting it, as well as others. There need be no 

 question also, that it is to be referred to some common cause operating on all 

 alike ; very probably to a desire to imitate that posture which is both easy and 

 agreeable to them, in the hut or around the fire, and associated in their minds 

 with the most pleasing recollections of life ; therefore fittest in which to renew 

 life, and to begin again the social intercourse and delights of another world be- 

 yond the tomb. For it should never be forgotten that savages, as we call them, 

 are not brutes, but richly endowed with all the sentiments of the human mind, 

 and animated by its highest aspirations. 



How far the ancient Britons advanced in that general development which we 

 call civilization, it is difficult to ascertain. That the more southern tribes, es- 

 pecially, received from the Phoenician traders, implements and weapons of bronze, 

 and learned the art of manufacturing such themselves, is now pretty satisfac- 

 torily determined ; although it is very questionable whether these superseded 

 the earlier stone ones wholly anywhere, but especially in the remote districts of 

 the country. Their fate was by a succession of imperial armies to be kept in 

 check, to be subjected to a succession of conquests, and ultimately to be in large 

 part reduced to -slavery, whether in their native regions, or in Italy and in the 

 other dependencies of the empire. Those who can lay claim by descent to the 

 nearest relation to the aborigines of the British Islands are still a peculiar people, 

 marked in every feature of their characters by traits which distinguish them 

 from the races of other blood with whom they have been for so many ages in 

 contact. Thus proving that the lineaments of nature cannot be effaced by all 

 the chances and changes of time. 



We have now gone over the subject proposed to be discussed — perhaps in a 

 somewhat too long and discursive manner, with a view of rendering it more 

 easy to be understood by those to whom it is probably not very familiar — as fiir 

 as it seems desirable at the present time. And it only remains for the writer 

 to express his appreciation of the mark of honor conferred upon him by this 

 learned Academy in allowing him to address them, and more especially in per- 

 1857.] 



