Flint Drift and Human Remains, 195 



we have, I conceive, at all events in these facts, indications of at 

 least one land-surface here destroyed, and its rocks, plants, and 

 animals involved in one common wreck and ruin." 



An able and elaborate paper on the "Distribution of the Flint- 

 Drift of the South east of England," &c., was communicated to the 

 Geological Society of London by Sir R. Murchison in 1851. The 

 phenomena he describes seem everywhere to be a precise repeti- 

 tion of those of Abbeville. Everywhere the flint drift, which is 

 often, as there, covered by brick-earth, clay, or loam, is character- 

 ised by the bones of the great extinct mammalia, and everywhere, 

 according to the author's view, gives evidence of sudden and vio- 

 lent diluvial action. Everywhere also, this drift-gravel rises high 

 above the levels of the existing drainage, whilst, at the same time 

 it gives evidence that the general configuration of the surface was 

 substantially the same as now. Everywhere, also, wherever shells 

 have been preserved, they belong to our existing fauna, and thus 

 prove beyond a doubt that, geologically speaking, the age of the 

 drift is the age of the existing world. " In short," he says, " the 

 cliffs of Brighton afford distinct proofs that a period of perfect 

 quiescence and ordinary shore action, very modern in geological 

 parlance, but very ancient as respects history, was followed by os- 

 cillations and violent fractures of the crust, producing the tumul- 

 tuous accumulations to which attention has been drawn." 



Unless, then, the Abbeville beds can be separated from those 

 so widely prevalent in other countries, the discovery of human 

 implements underneath this drift will rather tend to bring nearer 

 to us than had ever been supposed some great and sudden diluvial 

 action, than to cast any very clear light on the absolute time — 

 that is, on the time measured by years or centuries — which has 

 elapsed since the creation of our race. The facts which have been 

 brought to light prove, indeed clearly enough, that since man 

 walked the earth some great changes have affected the condition 

 of its surface ; and it is impossible as yet to say what bearing 

 this discovery may be found to have on that remembrance of at 

 least one great catastrophe, which is not move a part of sacred 

 history than it is of profane tradition. 



We must not, however, shut our eyes to the indirect effect which 

 this discovery must have on the question of positive time. In the 

 first place, there is a school of geologists, led by our distinguished 

 countryman Sir Charles Lyell, who disbelieve generally in these 



