1862.] GEIKIE ELEVATION OF SCOTLAND. 221 



their intrinsic character as illustrations of various stages in the 

 onward march of human progress, — aR these are points of view from 

 which the geologist claims to study such remains. The antiquities 

 of man have thus a geological as well as an archaeological interest. 

 The day, indeed, is perhaps not far distant when archaeology will 

 form well-nigh as integral a part of geological science as palaeonto- 

 logy does now. This conviction must, at least, be my apology for 

 bringing before you some parts of a subject which is not usually 

 held to come within the scope of the Geological Society. 



Along the margin of the Clyde at Glasgow, the raised beach ex- 

 tends as a level terrace of varying width, its surface lying about 26 

 feet above high-water-mark. This plain, when sections are cut 

 through it, is found to consist of alluvial clay, silt, and sand, with 

 layers of shells — the deposits of an ancient estuary. Its presence 

 so high above the limits of even the extremest spring-tides or the 

 highest recorded river-floods can only be accounted for by an actual 

 upheaval of the land. No transient flood, of what magnitude soever, 

 could deposit well- stratified laminae of fine silt and mud in regTdar 

 succession to a height of 26 feet above the ordinary level of the 

 estuary. The bed of the river, along with the surrounding country, 

 must therefore have been raised ; and hence any remains which may 

 occur contemporaneously imbedded in these alluvial deposits must 

 have been involved in the same upheaval. If it can be shown that 

 human works of art lie beneath some of the undisturbed silt-beds, it 

 will follow that the elevation has been witnessed by man. 



Human remains have been especially abundant in the alluvium of 

 the Clyde. There is comparatively little variety, however, in their 

 character, inasmuch as they have been almost entirely connected with 

 the primitive navigation of the river. Within the last 80 or 90 

 years the hulls of no fewer than eighteen canoes have been exhumed, 

 some of them even from under the very streets of the city*. The 

 most important discoveries took place during the progress of those 

 great excavations by which the harbour of Glasgow was widened and 

 deepened. Twelve canoes were then obtained, the whole of which came 

 under the notice of the antiquary, who in 1856, under the signature of 

 J. B., communicated an account of them in the third volume of the 

 work entitled ' Glasgow, Past and Present.' With only one exception, 

 they were all formed of single oak-trees. Two had evidently been 

 scooped out by the action of fire ; others had been hollowed with a 

 rough implement, such as a stone axe ; while several were cut 

 beautifully smooth, evidently with metal tools. Hence a gradation 

 could be traced, from a pattern of extreme rudeness to one showing 

 considerable mechanical ingenuity. The average depth beneath the 

 surface of the ground at which the whole were found was about 19 

 feet, or about 7 feet above the level of high water f. They all lay 



* For the details of the Glasgow canoes I am indebted to an interesting paper 

 in ' Glasgow, Past and Present,' vol. ii., written, I believe, by that zealous anti- 

 quary, Mr. Buchanan. 



t The canoe found at an earlier date, on the site of the Tontine Hotel, lay 

 about 21 or 22 feet above high-water-mark in the river. 



