PREHISTORIC MAN IN AMERICA. 133 



These considerations, in regard to the not improbable existence of man in 

 the middle, and, possibly, in the earlier tertiaries, are offered that the reader may 

 be better prepared to appreciate the remarkable discoveries of the remains of man 

 in the auriferous gravels of California. An elaborate memoir on this subject, by 

 Professor J. D. Whitney, has just been completed in a second part, forming one 

 of the publications of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge. 



Professor Whitney, formerly the director of the geological survey of Cali- 

 fornia, has, in the memoir referred to above, described at great length the evi- 

 dences regarding the genuineness of the famous "Calaveras skull," repudiated 

 as a hoax by the press generally, made doubly famous by the witty verses of Bret 

 Harte, and looked at with suspicion or ignored by archaeologists of great repute. 

 The reader must be referred to the pages of Professor Whitney's memoir to ap- 

 preciate the force of the evidences he there brings forward in support of the 

 claims he has made regarding the genuineness of the occurrence of human 

 remains from beds of pliocene and possibly of miocene age. Were this skull the 

 only object of this nature that had been found in the auriferous gravels, one 

 might perhaps be justified in questioning it. 



The truth is, however, that in ten different counties in that great region, 

 remains of man, associated with extinct mammals and buried at great depths in 

 the auriferous gravels, have been brought to light. It is true that in many cases 

 the evidences have been produced by miners, but among that class are many intelli- 

 gent men. In their vocation, too, they are specially seeking for definite objects, 

 namely : particles of gold. Their experience is not like that attending the rough 

 excavations of railroad cuts or canals. Their work has been accompanied by a 

 scrutiny which adds positive weight to their statements. Of great importance, 

 too, is the uniformity of their testimony, as Professor Whitney points out, and the 

 invariably rude character of the implements which they produce from these beds. 

 Any attempt at deception would certainly bring with it some rudely carved 

 image, or stone with rude characters engraved thereon. No collusion is conceiv- 

 able between so many observers, covering so many years, and working in so 

 many widely separated localities. 



Among the many notable examples cited by Professor Whitney, that of the 

 occurrence of human remains beneath Table Mountain is the most remarkable. 

 In this case, tunnels had been driven in horizontally beneath the basaltic cap of 

 the mountain, which is of great thickness. The tunnels being horizontal, there 

 was do possibility of ^i?<5m falling from above, with the chance of conveying 

 surface specimens. The great age of the gravels beneath Table Mountain is 

 shown by the profound geological changes which have taken place in the surface 

 features of that region since the volcanic outflow formed the almost imperishable 

 cap which has preserved this area and similar areas from the wide denudation 

 that has taken place around. The basalt forming the cap of Table Mountain 

 extends in an even plateau, though interrupted by deep gorges and canons, for a 

 distance of twenty miles, with a descending grade, as measured by barometric 



