r 
3C4 
quite so close as many fear. The ancestor of 
man Is not a climbing snirnal, but a cave- 
dweller. This is shown by the structure of 
his feet in which the hallux is not opposable 
as it is in the monkeys. Recent discoveries 
in France and Spain have greatly extended 
our knowledge of prehistoric and cave-dwell¬ 
ing man and have shown that he cultivated 
art and was able to use artificial light for the 
pictorial adornment of his far-underground 
dwellings. The pictures include coloured 
drawings of recognizable ancient and extinct 
animals. I have often thought that we 
might discover prehistoric remains in some of 
our caves, and perhaps such may yet be the 
case. 
And now, having finished our ramble, and 
having embarked on the train on our return 
home, I will utilise the time with your per¬ 
mission in presenting a few remarks on the 
cultivation of natural science—that is, of the 
knowledge of nature. In 1867 I read to the 
Scientific Association of Trinidad a paper on 
the cultivation of scientific knowledge, taking 
as my text the book of George Henry Lewes 
then recently published entitled : “Aristotle 
—a chapter from the History of Science." I 
thought, indeed, that that paper was dead 
and buried as someone had asserted of all 
the work of the Scientific Association, but 
nevertheless I find it quoted in a paper on 
the geology of the West Indies written in 
1895 by J. W. Gregory, now Professor of 
Geology in the University of Glasgow. What 
I said in that paper is for the most part as 
pertinent now as when I read it, but on this 
occasion I wish to reinforce what I then said. 
As to the progress of humanity I do not feel 
so sanguine as many profess to be. It may 
be possible that there has been some itn 
provement during the last hundred.years- 
that is in respect of the diminution in the 
amount of vice and crime, but we have none 
the less to maintain a continual warfare 
against the powers that work for evil. In 
some respects there has been a great advance, 
but it has been almost wholly in the direction 
of material civilization, such as manufactures 
and products, engines and machinery, rail¬ 
ways and telegraphs. It may be doubtful if 
material improvement is of much use with¬ 
out a corresponding moral advance. I 
believe in the practicability of an immense 
improvement in this direction. By the 
use of the instrument of verification 
which I have referred to we have ceased 
to believe in many erroneous ideas suph, 
for instance, as that barnacles change into 
