370 BALDWIN'S PREHISTORIC NATIONS. 



and mutilated by the elements on the rocks, so that with few exceptions-' 

 they are scarcely to be regarded as edible fish.' 



" A(;cording to this authoritj^, the Mediterranean has hitherto produced 

 the largest proj)ortion of the family, but it is distributed from the ai'ctic re- 

 gions to the sunny shores of India, so that probably a tithe has not yet 

 been discovered." 



BOOK REVIEWS. 



BALDWIN'S PREHISTORIC NATIONS. 

 BY PROF. G. C. BROADHEAD. 



All knoAvledge of mankind previous to our written histories is involved 

 in obscurity, and by many is considered mythical. But industry and per- 

 severing research have availed much. The work before us by J. D. Bald- 

 win and published b}^ the Harpers, contains an apparent clearly connected 

 train of what at first appearance is all mystery. The oldest civilization is 

 traced to the ancient Cushites. From them, in direct descent, is traced the 

 Chaldeans, and through them the Babylonians a little later. Another 

 colony passed northwardly and settled Phoenicia. Another passed east- 

 wardly and settled India, and they are now represented by certain inhabi- 

 tants of the Dekhan. Still progressing eastwardly they may have pene- 

 trated Malacca. From Southern India they took possession of Ceylon, and 

 there thej' flourished for many ages as a powerful and intelligent nation. 

 Westwardly they crossed over and founded the ancient Kingdom of Egypt, 

 of which we know so little. From Lower Egypt they ruled supreme in 

 Upper Egypt and Abyssinia, and thence extended their settlements across 

 the whole of JN'orthern Africa. 



The Phoenicians, long before Eome knew anything of civilization or of 

 letters, sailed in ships to India, to Southern Africa and around Africa, 

 founded the Empire of Carthage, built cities in Spain, brought tin from- 

 England and amber from the Baltic. 



The Eomans and G-recians, in their blind selfishness and jealousy, de- 

 stroyed the records and evidences of culture of the conquered nations. The 

 Phoenicians and Egyptians had their libraries, but where are they now?' 

 Destroyed, and mainly by the conquering nations. We only possess a few 

 engravings on stone ; yet Arabia and Phoenicia furnished the alphabet to 

 the world. 



In mechanical structures, we find that the ancients in many things even 

 surpassed the moderns. Their stone edifices are wonderful. We have 

 nothing like the Egyptian Pyramids or the temples of Karnac and Ipsam- 



