298 REV. J. MAGENS MELLO, M.A., F.G.S., ETC. 
sitting posture in the long-chambered barrows. Much can be said 
tending to show that the practice in use in the Bronze period was of 
distant Eastern origin. Again, Dr. E. B. Tylor and others have 
shown that rude stone monuments (Dolmens as well as Cromlechs, 
and stone circles) may be traced in a remarkable line from India, 
through Syria to North Africa, and up the west side of Europe ; 
such monuments are considered by many archeologists to be of the 
Bronze age, like the round or bowl-shaped barrows. If we regard 
the early metal workers in Europe as an Aryan stock, philology 
becomes an important help to prehistoric archeology. From the 
roots of words in the Indo-European languages we are able to 
obtain some conception of their mode of life, &c., while the most 
ancient literature of Aryan origin and cult embodies solar myths 
and fire worship, which there can be no doubt formed the essential 
elements of their religion ; a sun or fire worship which under various 
forms entered so fully into the faith of the Kelt, Greek, Latin, &. 
M. Chantre has confirmed these views as to the religion of these 
ancient metal workers, by his investigations into the ornamentation 
employed during the Bronze age, for pottery and other objects. In 
it may be traced several symbols of sun or fire worship, such as 
concentric circles, and above all the “Swastika,” an essential 
portion of the fire drill. Professor Sayce has lately alluded to the 
existence in Syria of an aboriginal white race, which it is suggested 
_may be of Aryan origin, and which he believes to be a remnant of 
the Amorites of the Scriptures. He also points out that a similar 
white race exists in isolated groups in North Africa, 7.e., the 
Kabyles, the Libyans of antiquity, whose white faces, &c., it is 
said, may be noticed in the wall pictures of ancient Egypt, and 
can be distinguished from those of reddish hue representing the 
Egyptians themselves, and others. There is another point which I 
wish to notice briefly, and that is in reference to the early use of. 
tin as an alloy in making bronze. Besides those described by 
MM. Siret, objects of pure copper have been found in some of 
the Dolmens of Aveyron, and in certain caves and other places 
believed to be of late Neolithic age, but such objects are rare, 
and judging by the very few which have been found, it would 
seem that pure copper was very soon superseded by bronze. 
The proportion :of tin employed as an alloy, although generally 
stated as one-tenth to nine parts of copper, really varies from rather 
under 10 to 14 or even 15 per cent. It would be interesting to 
know whether the earliest bronze articles contain a greater or less 
