298 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
crumbling masses of limestone; many subsequent visits confirm me in the 
opinion of this being the veritable matrix. It is scarcely necessary to add 
that this is one important proof of the immense antiquity of the famous 
skull, “This human skull '' say Dr Falconer and Mr Busk, “ yielded by ‘The 
Bock/ appears to us to point to a still higher antiquity of man than even 
those found in the valley of the Verere in the south of France. In fact, 
it is the most remarkable and perfect example of the kind now extant.” 
In scarping the ancient sea cliff at Europa Point another 
raised beach was found, at the height of 50 ft., and 20 ft. 
°ui i* higher a third, in the last the molar tooth of a fossil elephant 
of the extinct species (elejohas antiquus) was found, with sea shells adhering 
to it, many years ago by Mr Smith. This tooth was handed over, like the 
skull before spoken of, to the Gibraltar Scientific Society, and by them to 
the “ Soldiers' Home,” this having been lost for countless days, with no 
trace of its existence known, save the statement of Mr Smith, was found by 
the author, after much labour, amidst the debris of the “ Soldiers' Home.” 
The tooth is of great importance as a link in the bright chain of fossil 
remains to be hereafter spoken of, in the “ new finds ” of the more recently 
explored caves. 
It is much to be regretted that among so many officers, and some of them 
scientific men, these important relics which initiate us into the mysteries of 
by-gone times, and show to us as ages roll on the various and successive 
changes that the earth has passed through, and which lead us to true 
philosophic notions of what may hereafter take place in the course of years, 
should be so little regarded, or cared for; that men should, day by day, and 
hour by hour, tread over this vast mass of mineral wealth and knowledge, 
without one wish to make that knowledge their own, and thus to assist 
science in its vast speculative strides, and in its earnest search after truth. 
The caves of Windmill Hill, &c. next demand our attention, 
“the flats” themselves are about 400ft. above the level of 
the sea; on the north end of these flats stands the military 
prison, and in the month of November 1862, when enlarging 
the same, and making excavations for a new tank, Mr Brome 
the governor of the prison came upon a fissure of about one 
foot long, and five inches wide, between two large blocks of limestone. On 
the following February, after blasting out a portion of the solid rock some 
small bones were found in a small fissure, under some dark mould, in a 
disordered state; while carrying on these works on St George's day, a rock 
covered with stalactites together with a boar's tusk, pottery and shells were 
found, and evident traces of a spacious cavern. Mr Brome, whose zeal 
manifested itself during these operations, directed the prisoners to collect 
carefully every bone, &c.; a great deal of red loam was next found filling 
up the fissures, while dark earth and hard loam with small pieces of charcoal, 
also bones of animals, birds, &c. separated from one another the large 
blocks of limestone which now presented themselves. In the latter part of 
July a large passage was discovered 45 ft. deeper, having a roof of 30 ft. in 
height; 17 ft. lower another cavern, now called “Victoria Hall,” 20 ft., 
lower another fissure, and again descending a larger one, the sides of which 
were covered with fantastic stalactite formation, many resembling small 
hollow glass tubes and translucent, about the diameter of a common quill, 
Caves, 
Windmill Hill. 
First fissure. 
