Sea in early Pleiocene times. This sea, it must be re- 

 collected, was almost dried up during the early and 

 middle Pleistocene periods, and there was no communica- 

 tion between it and the Atlantic Ocean, so that Europe 

 was connected both on the east and west with Africa, 

 and was also one continuous continent with Asia, there 

 being then no Black Sea and no Caspian Sea. The 

 probability, therefore, is that man first became a rational 

 being, parting with his ape-like characteristics, some- 

 where in Southern Asia or Northern Africa, or, more 

 probably still, in the now submerged continent of 

 Lemuria, which once joined China, India, and Africa in 

 one continental system ; after which he emigrated in 

 different directions, finding his way north-westwards over 

 the European continent as far as the very limit of the 

 Franco-British continental system. At what period man 

 first existed in the districts around the Mexican Gulf it 

 is at present impossible to say but the skull found in 

 the Mississippi beds is calculated to be at least 50,000 

 years old, and by some the date is fixed at 100,000 

 years, which would carry us back to middle Pleistocene 

 times at least. Man, therefore, most probably existed 

 in Europe long before he had made his appearance in 

 the new world, although it is quite possible that further 

 investigation may lead to the discovery of a still more 

 ancient stock than that to which the Mississippi skull 

 belonged. How long a time elapsed between the first 

 appearance of Palaeolithic man in Northern Europe, and 

 the subsequent advent of Neolithic man, it is at present 

 impossible to say with any degree of certainty ; but the 

 interval must have been of enormous length, for we find 

 no traces of polished stone implements until the very 

 close of the Pleistocene era during the last Franco- 

 British continental system. At this period man had 

 become much more civilised than his ancestors of the 

 Palaeolithic age j his implements were more ornamental 

 and better fitted for the purposes for which they were 

 intended ; his mode of life had become more settled ; 

 and he had developed primitive industries. In the 

 ancient "hut circles" found at Standlake and at Fisherton, 

 near Salisbury, have been found instruments used for 

 spinning and weaving, which date back to Neolithic 



