278 REV. J. MAGENS MELLO, M.A., F.G.S., ETC. 
One of the most prominent features of primeval civilisation 
was the use of metals. The Turks and the Mongols both say 
that their ancestors dwelt in a valley of the Altai Mountains, 
from which they extracted metal by means of fire. To the 
south of the Altai, and as far as Thibet, the manufacture of 
iron was carried to great perfection in very early times, even 
before the Chinese migration. In primitive Chaldea, peopled 
by Accadian tribes, we are told that there are traces of an 
ancient and abundant metallurgy, which influenced Assyria, 
Syria, and Arabia. 
If we turn to Europe the results of archzeological research 
show us that there was in this part of the world a gradual 
replacement of the stone implements of the Neolithic age by 
those of metal, and as far as Hurope is concerned, the vast 
majority of the metal tools and weapons were at this period 
made of bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, containing, 
roughly speaking, on an average about nine parts of copper 
to one of tin. 
The discovery and use of tin in the manufacture of bronze 
marks, it is well said, a great epoch in the history of human 
culture, for this metal is never found in a native condition. 
Its ore is dull, and non-metallic in appearance, having nothing 
about it to attract attention, whilst it is by no means widely 
distributed ; a very considerable exercise of intelligence must 
have been required to discover its valuable properties. That 
the use of pure copper preceded that of tin appears to be 
beyond serious question, although, as compared with bronze, 
objects made of pure copper are strangely rare as compared 
with those of bronze, which was known in many parts of the 
world long before our era: it was in use amongst the ancient 
Hgyptians certainly 2000 B.C. and probably even at a period 
far anterior to that. But before bronze was invented, it is 
only natural to suppose that there must have been a time, at 
any rate in copper-producing districts, when the unalloyed 
metal would have been employed. Weshould conclude this to 
have been the case even had we no actual proof of the fact ; 
but proofs have gradually been accumulating, and Sir John 
Lubbock has very justly observed that ‘‘ Copper seems to have 
been the metal which first became of real importance to man”? ; 
its ores are abundant, and they are easily smelted, besides 
which it frequently occurs in a native state, when its properties 
are manifest, for it can then be hammered into shape. The 
North American Indians utilised the great copper deposits 
about Lake Superior and made both implements and orna- 
ments of this metal. Native copper was used in Santorin 
