FLINT IMPLEMENTS FOUND IN KENT’S CAVERN. 343 
means improbable that he continued to labour long after the date 
just mentioned. His investigations, however, had certainly ceased 
altogether some time before July, 1834, when I first visited the 
Cavern. Though his researches do not appear to have been con- 
ducted with that rigid observance of method which is now thought 
to be necessary, there is no longer any doubt of their very great 
value to science. That he failed to complete the thorough exami- 
nation which he proposed to himself is strikingly seen in the facts 
that the investigations in the Cavern carried on, without inter- 
ruption, by the British Association, from 28th March, 1865, to the 
present time, have been almost invariably in virgin ground; and 
that should the work be continued, several years must elapse before 
it can be exhausted. 
The flint implement discovered, as already stated, in the summer 
of 1825, was the forerunner of many others which presented 
themselves during the progress of his work. Mr. Mac Enery, 
however, was for some time not quite satisfied that they necessarily 
belonged to a period earlier than that represented by the sheet of 
stalagmite which sealed the deposit of Cave-earth containing the 
remains of the extinct Cave mammals; and, to solve this im- 
portant problem, he commenced a series of careful observations 
which ultimately led him to the conclusion that there was ‘no 
longer a question of their actual presence under the stratified 
unbroken floor of stalagmite.”** His description of this portion of 
his labours is so graphic and characteristic as to render it unnecessary 
to offer any apology for quoting it :— 
‘‘ Having,” he says, ‘‘ cleared away on all sides the loose mould 
and all suspicious appearances, I dug under the regular crust [of 
stalagmite |, and flints presented themselves to my hand. This 
electrified me. I called the attention of my fellow-labourer 
(Master Aliffe), and in his presence extracted from the red marl 
[or Cave-earth] arrow and lance heads. I instantly procecded to 
the excavation inside, which was only a few feet distant in the 
same continuous line and formed part of the same plate [or layer]. 
The crust [of stalagmite] was about two feet thick, steady; the 
clay [or Cave-earth] rather a light red. About three inches below 
the crust the tooth of an ox met my eye (I called the people to 
witness the fact), which I extracted before M. Aliffe; and not 
knowing the chance of finding flints, I then proceeded to dig undcr 
* “Trans. Devon. Assoc.,” vol. iii. (189), p. 329. 
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