20 



though he had hcen announced to give some information 

 with regard to the flint-implements exhibited by Mr. 

 Brent, he wouhl rather Mr. Brent should have addressed 

 them on the matter, as it was really more of an archajo- 

 logical than a geological matter. As, however, Mr. Brent 

 had asked him to supplement his remarks, he would en- 

 deavour to do so, although what he had to say would relate 

 more to the drift than the implements themselves. As the 

 flint-implements had been found in the drift, it was not out 

 of place to speak of them in connection with it. He 

 would first point out to them why they dated these im- 

 plements back so far anterior to ihe time it was supposed 

 that man had been an inhabitant of the earth. What was 

 turned the drift, geologically speaking, was that mass of 

 gravel and sand generally spread over the sides of 

 valleys, and more especially in the neighbour- 

 hood of rivers. It consisted of the debris caused 

 by the destruction of older strata, by means of 

 river and pluvial action. It was supposed at one 

 time, that all drift owed its origin to causes, such as 

 the action of the sea ; and an idea was once entertained by 

 geologists that the whole earth had been washed over by 

 the sea, and that a complete wreck of the entire formation 

 had taken place by a sort of diluvial wave and left this 

 drift behind. That notion, however, was now quite ex- 

 ploded, and the researches of modern geologists had shown 

 them that the drift was the result of river action. If they 

 went along the banks of the Thames, or the banks of their 

 own river Stour, and examined the sides ofthehills, they would 

 discover they were covered with gravel deposits, which ex- 

 tended more or less to a considerable height above the pre- 

 sent level of the river. That was the case with nearly all 

 the rivers in England, and more especially so with the 

 Stour, the Thames, and the Severn, in which some of the 

 implements had been found. 



In order to form any adequate conception of the length 



