266 APPENDICES. 



Hundred Wonders of the World in Nature and Art, by 

 John Small, M.A., will give an idea of the teaching 

 of that age by those who asserted strongly, reasoned 

 feebly, and quietly ignored the unerring Word of 

 Truth. "It is now proved that man has existed on 

 earth since a very remote period. Written documents 

 do not carry us back further than 6000 years. But 

 far beyond this short historic period extends a space 

 of time certainly much longer known to us only by 



pure tradition As we are necessarily in doubt as to 



the very origin of mankind, it is obviously impossible to 

 ascertain whether the different races of the earth are 

 descended from one couple, or from several primitive 



groups Whatever may have been man's origin, 



savagery is evidently the primitive condition of the 

 human race." Of these very large statements pro- 

 ceeding from a very "Small" man, we can only 

 deny every one of them. There is no "proof," 

 though much speculation, as we have pointed out in 

 the text, for the high antiquity of man ; and not a 

 shred of "pure tradition" for the same. The man 

 who believes God's Word has not a shadow of doubt 

 respecting the "origin of man" or the "unity of 

 race." And as for man being originally a " savage," 

 it is so ludicrously contrary to all evidence, that 

 we may be content with a simple contradiction. Mr. 

 Small's rash sayings remind us of what once occurred 

 at a meeting of the Academy of Sciences in Paris, 

 May 1857, when M. le Baron Dupin informed the 

 public that "Omar, Mahomet's general, having 

 conquered the valley of the Nile, his lieutenant 

 suggested to him the formation of a canal direct 

 from Suez to Pelusium ; but," continues the learned 



