JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 81 
rate estimate of 80,000 years. On the other hand the calcula- 
tions of Andrews based on the recession of the American lakes, 
and those of Winchell on the recession of the Falls of 5t. 
Anthony, reduce the time to from 7,000 to 12,000 years. It 
is impossible in the present state of knowledge to settle these 
disputes. That may be, for much of the conclusion is mere 
conjecture. For my part I am inclined to believe that when 
Spencer gives ‘‘on or about 50,000 to 60,000 years’’ he rather 
underestimates than overestimates the time. In the same page 
of ‘‘ The Chain of Life,’’ Sir William puts the question, ‘‘ Have 
we any facts bearing on the absolute antiquity of man?’ In 
reply to this he calls attention to a work of Canon Rawlinson, 
entitled ‘‘ Origin of Nations,’’ published by the Religious 
Tract Society, 1878, which shows, he states, conclusively that 
the historic origin of all the great nations of antiquity extends 
backwards less than 4,400 years from our own time. Now it 
so happens neither the Canon nor the great Canadian Palzon- 
tologist were aware of the recent extraordinary discoveries in 
Egypt, Assyria, etc., where ancient cities and tombs have been 
unearthed by French, British, Germans, Americans, containing 
the most reliable evidence of powerful and highly civilized 
nations which flourished some 7,0co and 8,000 years before 
the time of Christ’s appearance. ‘The assertion (erroneous) 
was made in good faith, but it is hoped that a reverend gentle- 
man who lately informed us through the daily Canadian press 
that man had degenerated even in size, for formerly he attained 
a height of 23 feet, did not give Sir William as his authority 
for this.* He was not likely to mistake the skeleton of a 
‘‘ Dinosaur’ (a reptilian) for that of a human being. ‘‘ The 
‘earliest skeletons known, as for instance Cro-Magnon, Men- 
“tone and HEngis, indicate a people of great stature and 
‘‘powerful muscular development, large brain, coarse Turanian 
‘“ features ; they used flint and bone implements which they 
‘“manufactured with much skill.’’ A larger skeleton than the 
ones here alluded to has since been found. It belonged to a 
man 6 feet 6 inches. Although the reverend gentleman 
*NOTE.—He only wished to convey the impression probably. 
II 
