14 



shown decided and unmistakable signs of life, and that too at the 

 hands of men whose authority cannot be questioned. 



Well, we should get from the members of these two opposing 

 schools, varying explanations of ihe disappearance of the Mammoth, 

 some telling us it was gradual and made complete by man, others 

 argue for a great catastrophe, a sudden flood of waters, that 

 drowned and buried them at the same time. Before entering, how- 

 ever on the disputed explanation, let me put before you the chief 

 points to be considered in the matter. They have been collected 

 and selected with great care by Sir H. Howorth in his book, " The 

 Mammoth and the Flood; " and though he is a Catastrophist in his 

 explanation, even the Uniformitarians will not be able to question 

 his facts, for which in every instance he gives his authority. 



I. Consider the enormous abundance of the remains, and their 

 wide distribution, not only in Siberia, but in our own country, and 

 in many caves and rock fissures in Europe, I have already touched 

 upon this ; I will add a few more particulars. *' From the caves in 

 the Vale of Clwy^d (in N. Wales) as many as 400 teeth of rhino- 

 ceros, 500 of horse, 180 of hyaena, and 15 of mammoth have been 

 taken." Twenty tons of bones of hippopotamus and others have 

 been taken from a single cave in Sicily." How came these inis* 

 cellaneous collections in caves ? In Siberia we find a regular and 

 profitable trade in " fossil ivory" as it is called. For nearly 300 

 years England has imported it. In 1872, 1630 tusks were entered 

 at London Docks, and in the next year, 1140, — all Mammoth; and 

 it is calculated that 110,000 lbs. of fossil ivory go to market every 

 year. Nordenskiold considers that the spoils of at least 20,000 

 Mammoths have already been gathered, and " we can well believe 

 in the rich mine that still remains." Again, in 1821 no less a 

 quantity than 20,0001bs. of ivory was obtained from (the Islands of) 

 New Siberia alone." One traveller in the space of a verst (8500) ft. 

 "found ten tusks sticking out of the ground," and the Liachov 

 Islands seem to be simply piles of bones and tusks. How came 

 these all so thickly gathered together. Was it the same agency 

 that piled them also in the caves? What agency? Floods of 

 water ? 



Probably yes : then comes the question — Where were they brought 

 from ? The answer to this would be from the banks of the streams, 

 where so many skeletons still lie embedded, and some with the 

 flesh attached. 



II. How came they where we find them in the river banks? 

 Did these float down the stream from more southern parts ? Some 

 say yes. But how could entire carcases float for hundreds of miles 

 and yet retain (as some do) their flesh and long hair intact ? They 

 are found by the sides of long and short rivers, main streams and 

 small tributaries ; by rivers flowing north and by rivers flowing 



