14 The Twenty-thind General Meeling. 
universally prevailed until within the last quarter of a century, for 
we can scarcely doubt that even the later Stone Age goes back to a 
period more remote than the 6000 years which were traditionally 
supposed to be the limit of man’s existence on earth. No doubt, 
indeed, the difficulties of the received chronology had long been felt. 
Well-marked varieties of the human race are shown by the Egyptian 
monuments to have existed as early, at any rate, as the fifteenth 
century before Christ. The antiquity of man is also indicated by 
the differences of language and by the existence of powerful and 
flourishing monarchs at a very early period, for the pyramids them- 
selves are considered by M. Mariette and other high authorities to 
have been constructed about 4000 years B.C., and even at that early 
period it would appear that the Sphinx was suffering from age, for 
we possess a decree by which Cheops provides for its repair. Quitting 
now the Neolithic, or second Stone Age, we come to the Paleolithic, 
or first Stone Age. At this period man appears to have been ignorant 
not only of metals, but of pottery. The stone implements are much 
ruder, and are simply chipped into form, being never ground or 
polished. We have no evidence of the existence of any domestic 
animals, and man probably lived mainly on the produce of the chase, 
contending for the possession of Europe with animals which now 
exist only in distant regions, or have become entirely extinct. So 
unexpected were these facts, so improbable did they appear, that 
geologists accepted them only after reiterated and incontrovertible 
proofs. The observations made by Mr. Frere at the beginning of 
the century were neglected. The researches of MM. Tournal and 
Christol in the caves of the South of France, now just half-a-century 
ago—the still more complete investigations of Dr. Schmerling in 
those of Belgium during the years 1833-34—-searcely raised even a 
doubt upon the subject. Those of Mr. McEnery in Kent’s cavern 
attracted little attention ; subsequent observations made there by Mr. 
Vivian were refused publication on account of the inherent improba- 
bility of the conclusions to which they pointed. The discoveries of M, 
Boucher de Perthes were neglected for a quarter of a century, and it 
is not too much to say that if geologists are open to blame at all for 
their behaviour with reference to this question it would certainly be | 
