The Fossil Human Skeleton from Guadaloupe. 283 



province of Pamphylia, in Asia Minor, is described by Professor 

 E. Forbes and Captain Spratt as being wholly composed of 

 travertine, full of holes and caverns, in which innumerable 

 streams diappear from sight to burst forth afresh after a 

 passage underground. On this coast the beaches are all petri- 

 fied, and the fisherman who runs his boat ashore upon what 

 appears to be a bank of sand or shingle, will find her bottom 

 stove in upon a rock. The admiral refers to the bone-breccia 

 of Gibraltar, in terms which make it desirable to say that the 

 rock itself is a mass of gray secondary limestone, of uncertain 

 age, containing Terebratulce, similar to T. fimbria of the infe- 

 rior oolite ; and that the reddish coloured rock with monkey - 

 bones is only found in caves and fissures. It is a modern 

 deposit, such as occurs in all limestone countries ; in this case 

 the caverns having been much frequented formerly by soldiers 

 of the garrison and pic-nic parties, numerous tobacco pipes 

 and chicken-bones have become mingled with human remains 

 and those of the older natives of the rock. 



(Copt of Letter.) 



64, Weebeck Steeet, August 27, 1813. 



" My Lord — The stone that I brought from Guadaloupe, of 

 which I spoke to your lordship, was found near to the port of La 

 Moulle, situated on the Windward side of Grande Terre. The French 

 Government had directed this and another that was discovered to be 

 carefully cut from the Rock, an operation very difficult to effect, 

 from their position being within the line of high water, consequently 

 the workmen could only be employed when the tide had receded 

 from the Shore, and to preserve the Body entire they were under 

 the necessity to undermine it, carefully removing the surrounding 

 Bocks. The first that was brought round to the seat of Govern- 

 ment was I understand sent to France in a Ship of War, and this 

 was to have followed had the Island not been taken at the period it 

 was. The expense of cutting out the one I brought home I was 

 told exceeded three thousand Pounds, but of this I can speak 

 with no kind of certainty, as the administration carried with them 

 all then Books and Papers. By a man of considerable abilities in 

 mineralogy, now resident at Guadaloupe, I was informed that the 

 body contained within this stone lies in a diagonal position, the side 

 appearing on the upper edge of the stone, he described this to me 

 and pointed out the arm and some other parts. I had it in con- 

 templation to saw it in two, so as to have cut the body asunder in 

 a line from head to foot, I afterwards thought it better that it should 

 be conveyed to England in its present state. There is no trace in 

 the History of the Island that can lead to the cause of this extra- 

 ordinary petrefaction, nor have I heard of any conjecture as to its 

 original formation. My idea is that previous to the discovery of 

 America the inhabitants were in the habit of burying their dead 



