ANCIENT HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA. 433 



projecting edge. Their forms are as various as their dimensions. The 

 material consists of a bhick chiy, mixed, as in Europe, with quartz sand, 

 or, as is the case more frerpiently, with more or less linely pulverized 

 shells. Sometimes the clay is used without any admixture. In the West 

 Indies the pulverized bark of two trees, Hirtclla silicca and Moqnilca, is 

 used in. the place of sand. Tliis bark is very rich in silica, and produces 

 vessels of a very tine grain, fragments of which are found in large num- 

 bers in all settlements, and especially at tlie places of manulacture. 

 One of the latter was discovered' and described some years ago by 

 Charles Kau. 



That the Mexican porcelain vessels should show a higher order of 

 skill, might be expected after what has been said. A Portuguese writer, 

 during the first years of the Spanish rule, declared that they were in no 

 way inferior to those of Europe. 



Although it is not denied that there is no reason for distinguishing 

 in America between a paheolithic and a neolithic period, there are, 

 nevertheless, authenticated facts which might lead to such a distinction. 

 One of these is the discovery of human bones together with those of 

 extinct species of animals near Natchez, IMississippi. Another is the 

 discovery of a human skeleton under several layers of submerged 

 forest formation in the Mississi]»])i delta, near New Orleans. Still an- 

 other is the presence of human bones in a limestone conglomerate 

 forming a part of the coral reefs of Florida, whoJse age is estimated at 

 ten thousand years by Agassiz. 



Unfortunately there has been so much exaggeration in America, 

 along with trustworthy reports, that caution is necessary in accepting 

 as true unusual statements, even when they have a scientilic coloring. 

 ' From the report of the German archieologist, Dr. Koch, on the 

 mastodon * found in Gasconade County, Missouri, it is beyond doubt 

 that man existed in America as early as that animal. In another case 

 flint arrow-heads were found along with bones of the mastodon in an 

 undisturbed deposit; and at the Pomme de Terre Eiver, Missouri, a 

 mastodon skeleton, together with an arrows-point, as found covered with 

 15 feet of alluvium. 



Finally, I must state that there is scarcely a subject which excites 

 the interest of American scientiiic men so much as the ancient history 

 of their continent. Let me call your attention to the liberal support 

 which they enjoy, the existing collections in every large city of America, 

 the efforts of the Smithsonian Institution, and the donation of the 

 great philanthropist, Peabody, who appropriated £100,000 sterling to 

 the establishment of a nuiseum of Indian antiquities. 



The greatest collection of American antiquities in Europe is that at 

 Salisbury, England; and in America that of the Smithsonian Institution. 

 Dr. Dickerson has also a very large collection of which he is about to 

 IHiblish a catalogue. 



* I must state, however, that Lyell assigns much less antiquity to the Aiuerican than 

 to the Eui'opean mastoclou. 

 28 S 71 



