Prehistoric Races. 819 



our honour would be safe. To take part with the 

 oppressors and maintain despotism in Italy would be in- 

 famous. Tuscany is to be occupied by a large body of 

 troops under the command of Prince Napoleon. A great 

 many are already encamped on the meadows at the 

 Cascine fine, spirited, merry young men ; many of 

 them have the Victoria medal. They are a thorough 

 protection against any attack by the Austrians, of which, 

 however, there is little chance, as they have enough to 

 do in Lombardy. There is to be a great affair this 

 morning at nine o'clock ; an altar is raised in the middle 

 of the camp, and the tricolour (Italian) flag is to be 

 blessed amidst salvoes of cannon. Your friend, Bettino 

 Bicasoli, is thought by far the most able and states- 

 manlike person in Tuscany; he is highly respected. 

 Martha and I dined with Mr. Scarlett, and met . . . 

 who said if the Grand Duke had not been the most 

 foolish and obstinately weak man in the world, he might 

 still have been on the throne of Tuscany; but that 

 now he has made that impossible by going to Vienna and 



allowing his two sons to enter the Austrian army 



We have had a visit from Dr. Falkner, his two nieces 

 and brother. They had been spending the winter in 

 Sicily, where he discovered rude implements formed 

 by man mixed with the bones of prehistoric animals in a 

 cave, so hermetically shut up that not a doubt is left of 

 a race of men having lived at a period far anterior to that 

 assigned as the origin of mankind. Similar discoveries 

 have recently been made elsewhere. Dr. Falkner had 

 travelled much in the Himalayas, and lived two years on 

 the great plain of Tibet ; the account he gave me of it 

 was most interesting. His brother had spent fifteen 

 years in Australia, so the conversation delighted me ; I 



