610 Revieics — Reliquice Aquitanicm. 



continued in the year 1815, when free schools were established in 

 the district. Christopher Purcell was the last teacher. The roof of 

 the cave has since subsided, and thus it is reduced to its present small 

 dimensions. Tradition states that in 1570 a holy friar with a small 

 community established themselves in a building which they erected on 

 the rock, and of which the foundations are still discernible. At this 

 time the holy well was established and dedicated to the superior of 

 the community as patron saint, under the Irish name of Nieve Eiane 

 (as pronounced). 



The waters of this well are believed to have healing properties, 

 and for some cases water so highly impregnated with lime would 

 be very beneficial. Over the well was a small structure, inside which 

 over the outlet for the water was a carved head of the patron saint ; 

 this, however, has been lost, and a rude stone and timber erection 

 is all that now exists. 



IK, IE "V I IE ~W S. 



I. — Relics of the Cave-Dwellers of Aqtjitania. 

 (PLATE XV.) 



"ORE than fifty years have passed away since Dr. Buckland, 1 one 

 of the most able and distinguished of our early geologists, 

 commenced the exploration and record of the organic remains found 

 in and beneath the breccias and stalagmites of ossiferous caverns. 



But although the Dean was well aware of the occurrence of stone 

 implements of undoubted human manufacture together with human 

 bones in several of these deposits-, he was led to conclude that they 

 were not coeval with the Mammoth and other extinct and foreign 

 animals contained in the same cave-earths. 



Yet even at that early period, other able and competent observers 

 were at work in the same field of inquiry, who did not share the 

 conclusions of Buckland. 



Earliest of these was Dr. Fleming 3 (afterwards Professor of 

 Natural Philosophy in New College, Edinburgh) ; and the Rev, 

 J. McEnery 3 (a highly intelligent Roman Catholic priest at Tor- 

 quay) ; subsequently Dr. Schmerling 4 of Liege ; and later (in 1841), 

 M. Boucher de Perthes, 6 of Abbeville, and Dr. Rigolott, 6 at Amiens, 

 carried on their own separate lines of research, which, however, did 

 not result in attracting public attention until after 1858, when the 

 exploration of the Brixham cave stimulated scientific men to take 



1 " Account of an Assemblage of Animals discovered in a Cave at Kirkdale, York- 

 shire," 1821, Phil. Trans, vol. cxii. p. 171; and " Reliquice Diluviance," 1826, 4to. 

 Lond. 



2 Edinb. Phil. Journ. vol. xiv. p. 205. 



3 McEnery's MS., written in 1824, was not published until 1859, by Mr. Vivian, 

 and more fully by Mr. Pengelly, " Literature of Kent's Cavern," Devonshire Asso- 

 ciation, 1868-9. 



4 Eecherches sur les Ossemens Foss. dans les Cavernes de la Prov. de Liege, 4to. 

 Atlas and folio, 1833-34. 



5 " Antiquites Celtiques," 1847, vol. i. 



6 Comptes Kendus, 1847, p. 649; 1864, p. 230. 



