CHAPTEE 1Y. 



THE EEMAINS OF CITIES OF THE STONE AGE. 



THE modern Montreal Las now overgrown the site 

 of Hochelaga, and it met with no obstacles in doiog 

 so save the natural inequalities of the ground. Less 

 than three hundred years have elapsed, and the clear- 

 ing of the young forest which must have covered the 

 site, and the ploughing of the fields, had sufficed to 

 remove all traces except those which might remain 

 beneath the greensward. Thus, its very place un- 

 known, the old city reposed until the bones of its 

 sleeping inhabitants were disturbed by the excava- 

 tions of streets and foundations of houses. For some 

 time this work proceeded without any attention being 

 given to the antiquities uncovered. In levelling the 

 ground large quantities of sand were removed to be 

 used in making mortar, and the workmen merely 

 reburied the bones in the underlying clay, where they 

 may some day serve to convince enthusiastic believers 

 in the antiquity of man that our species existed in 

 Canada at the time of the marine Post-pliocene. At 

 length attention was directed to the subject, and a 

 somewhat rich harvest was obtained of relics which 

 are now preserved in public and private collections. 

 It will be interesting here to note what actually 



