Cresson.] 
144 
[Dec. 19, 
bears the name of one of America’s greatest benefactors, George 
Peabody, the specimens will soon be arranged and exhibited for 
future reference. To pass on in this connection, and not mention 
the indefatigable efforts of the directors of the PeabQdy Museum in 
the interests of science would be a great injustice. Thanks to the 
energy of the staff of this great Museum, America possesses an 
extensive treasure-house of archaeological and ethnological lore, 
which considering the comparatively short time that has elapsed 
since the first specimen was labelled is, without doubt, one of the 
most valuable and interesting collections ever brought together, ri- 
valling any of like kind in either hemisphere. 
To give a detailed account of how the Rock-shelter at Naaman’s 
Creek was discovered, would consume too much time this evening, 
Let us rather consider, briefly, the nature of the rock composing it 
and the contents of the shelter’s various layers. In all probability, 
the rock forming a shelter was a Laurentian outcrop — probability 
is mentioned because no exact geological survey has ever been made 
of the locality, so far as I am aware, up to the time of Professor 
Wright’s visit to the spot last month. I say was a Laurentian 
outcrop from the fact that the site of the shelter has, within a few 
years, been cut in twain and all but one side of its place obliterated 
by the Baltimore and Ohio railroad company’s trackway, made 
through the Laurentian outcrop, from which a mass of rock form- 
erly projected, making a natural shelter that at times was used by 
the early peoples of the Delaware valley. The Peabody Museum 
possesses photographs of the spot as it appears at the present day, 
which may be seen by all interested in the subject. Fortunately, 
careful drawings of the shelter were made during its excavation, 
between the years of 1866 and 1867, copies of which have been pre- 
sented to the Museum by William R. Thompson, Esq., of Philadel- 
phia. Any one interested in photography will readily understand 
liow, but a few years ago, it would have been a difficult matter, if 
not an impossibility, to have obtained photographs of the spot. 
A camera, in those days, with its appliances, would have required 
a horse and cart to carry them. 
The profile drawing on the following page represents the outcrop 
of rock as it appeared above the ground line, before excavations 
were begun in 1866. The trees show that the ground was then 
covered by a thick wood. The outcrop of the rock B, above the 
ground line G G , is plainly indicated. From the point P , that 
