THE STORY-BOOK OF SCIENCE 



canoes and their huts; they could better defend 

 themselves against wild animals and attack the game 

 in their hunts. This piece of iron gave them an 

 assurance of food, a substantial boat, a warm dwell- 

 ing, a redoubtable weapon. In comparison, a gold 

 ax was only a useless plaything. ' ' 



"If iron came last, what did men do before they 

 knew of it!" asked Jules. 



"They made their weapons and tools of copper; 

 for, like gold, this metal is sometimes in a pure state 

 so that it can be utilized just as nature gives it to 

 us. But a copper implement, having little hard- 

 ness, is of much less value than an iron one. Thus, 

 in those far-off days of copper axes, man was in- 

 deed a wretched creature. 



1 ' He was still more so before knowing copper. He 

 cut a flint into a point, or split it, and fastened it to 

 the end of a stick ; and that was his only weapon. 



"With this stone he had to procure food, clothing, 

 a hut, and to defend himself from wild beasts. His 

 clothing was a skin thrown over his back, his dwell- 

 ing a hut made of twisted branches and mud; his 

 food a piece of flesh, produce of the chase. Domes- 

 tic animals were unknown, the earth uncultivated, 

 all industry lacking. " 



"And where was that?" asked Claire. 



"Everywhere, my dear child; here, even in places 

 where to-day are our most flourishing towns. Oh! 

 how forlorn man was before attaining, by the help 

 of iron, the well-being that we enjoy to-day; how 

 forlorn was man and what a great present Provi- 

 dence made him in giving him this metal !" 



