Jig U. M. .lOllNSTON MKMOUIAL I.KCTIUK. 



An attempt has been made in the table piven in the 

 summary of this paper on pages 130. 131, to supply a pro- 

 visiona! scheme to show the probable approximate relative 

 agres of the evidences of the presence of early man in Tas- 

 liiania and Australia. This table is very tentative, and the 

 dates, of course, very appi'oximately assigned, may be much in 

 error, but it is believed, nevertheless, that they are a i-eason- 

 able approximation. We may now proceed to consider the 

 details with regard to the antiquity of nian within the 

 Commonwealth, commencing with Tasmania, and then pass- 

 ing on to Australia. No attempt is made to put forward any 

 case for man having a geological antiquity in New Guinea. 

 Evidence, in the writer's opinion, will be forthcoming later 

 to prove that his first coming into New Guinea dates a 

 long way back into the past. 



2. Evidence of the Antiquity of Man. 

 A. In Tasmania, 

 i. Geological and Geographical. 



a. Occurrence of aboriginal chalcedonic flake in 

 fluvio-glacial (?) compact drift at the Doone 

 Mine, near Gladstone, North-East Tasmania. 



b. Occurrence of aboriginal chipped pebbles and 

 stone coi'es at Regatta Point, on right bank of 

 Tamar River, one mile north of Launceston, 

 Numerous specimens of this type were found 

 by the writer last February in the consolidated 

 shingle of a slightly raised beach (3-4 feet above 

 high water). 



c. Occurrence of very numerous aboi-iginal cherty 



flakes and other implements in what appears 

 to be an old natural shore-line of the so-called 

 Lake Leake, now an artiflcial reservoir. 15 

 milos east of Campbell Town. 



ii. Antiquity deduced from distribution of implements. 



a. Wide area over which stone implements are 

 found in Tasmania, and the var.t number of 

 such implements. 



b. The thickness and extent of the aboriginal 

 kitchen middens. 



iii. Cultural evidence. 



a. Pala-olithic or Eolithic stage of culture of the 

 Tasmanian aborigines. 



