267 



interest, in connexion with the antiquities of Ireland, as show- 

 ing that a great progress might be made in the manufacture 

 of iron weapons without iron hammers and anvils ; and, there- 

 fore, that the use of stone hammers was quite consistent with 

 the existence of iron weapons. This fact seemed, in some de- 

 gree, to invalidate the theory of certain antiquaries who at- 

 tempted to draw a definite line of demarcation between an 

 iron and a stone period. The iron weapons might have been 

 forged with the ancient stone implements, and therefore may- 

 have come into use before the stone had been abandoned. 



Dr. Petrie thought the position taken by Dr. Todd an un- 

 tenable one. It was quite possible, as well as natural, that 

 when the Kaffirs, who were accustomed to the use of stone, 

 came into contact with civilized men and obtained articles of 

 iron, they would try to shape them into weapons with the 

 stone hammers which they had been in the habit of using for 

 other purposes. 



Dr. Ball stated, that when the Cape of Good Hope was 

 first discovered by Europeans, then attention was attracted 

 by the beauty and perfection of the weapons found in the 

 hands of the natives, manufactured by themselves from native 

 iron. 



Sir William Hamilton presented Tables containing a series 

 of meteorological observations, made and drawn up by his as- 

 sistant, Mr. Charles Thompson. 



A vote of thanks was given to Mr. Thompson for having 

 devoted his time and attention to a subject in which the Aca- 

 demy took so deep an interest. 



