The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-10-05
THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN AND THE
NOACHIAN FLOOD.

/ SaSC0 VIZ dOpCltlOui VI tllc DIltlpu 1AoooSN'-''
their recent meeting in Scotland, was that OF 'ii'
prehistoric existence of man. Sir JOHN LUsBooi
is considered the head OF British nqulrers IA 'h''
recondite branch of'ethnology. He read apaPei Pc
before the Association, in which he expresseo hi'
telief that the primitive condition OF man was on'
OF utter barbarism that from this condition SOW
raj races have Independently raised themselves
''These views" he said, ''follow from strictly SCI
| entific considerations"
Sir RoDERICK MURoHIsoN observed that al hia
investigations in geology convinced him OF sfea'
progression in the works of nature. The discoV-
cry. in the course OF geological explorations, oi
| implements, which had evidently been manuiac-
tured and used by man, and Of other rencs oi
man, haG raised up new school OF pfe-mseor''
| inquirers.
But it was not to chronicle the TRANSACTIONS Oh
foreign scientific body that We entered upon .ne
consideration Of this subject. 1t was ratnef De-
cause We wished to communicate to our reauei
the fact that we have in our very midst one' VINO
having labored long and assiduously IN TINS saie
field can of righj claim a portion OF the noiioi
which attaches to 6rst discovery. During pefioa
covering nearly thirty Years Professor FRANCIS o.
HOLMES, of this city, has pursued this inquiry
| with energy and unwavering attention.
Bymere sct dent while engaged in oultiVating
his plantation, near the Ashley River about ten
miles from Charleston, Prof. HOLMES first founo
in a bed generally recognized as belonging 10 the
st-pleiocene deposit, number OF FOSSILS Oh the
mylodon, megatherium, mastodon, the tapir' tne
beaver, muskrat and grey rabbit; moreover re-
mains OF the OK the horse, the hog, the sheep anu
the dog traces Of the fossils Of extinct species OIL
animals, along with remains OF wild animals slmi Sr
to those now inhabiting this Continent; ana ol uo
mestic animals analogous to, nay, identical "i'n'
those now in our service, which latter would se~hl
at one time to have formed part OF the fauna OF
America; but to have been altogether absent at
the opening of the historic period of this hemls-
phere.
These discoveries Prof. HOLMES publlshed IN
different forms, between 1857 and lS6O. 1ney az
| tracted considerable attention, but as the pne-
nomens we're contrary to the received theories OF
geology, they net with little favor, and were
| rather viewed with distrust. This is the usual
| fate of pioneer theories and DR.. HOLMES, with the
| zeal and enthusiasm which he alone can feel VINO
| is conscious of fulfilling his destiny in the I'M
selfish pursuit of noble calling, did not permit
| this and innumerable other discouragements 10
cause any intermission of his labors, while they
| had the effect of making him more cautious. The
Book of Nature was open before him, and with
single purpose he proceeded in his self allotted
task, unmindful alike Of the gibes Of the ignorant
utiltarian, or the speers of self-opinionated men
| of science.
Further researches, SO far from clearing up this
| geological paradox, served only to increase the
perplexties attending it, To the varied remains
already enumerated were added, still from the
same bed, in 1857 piece Of pottery, few years
later, arrowheads spearheads and hatchets both OF
stone and of animals tusks, and, within the last
few weeks, another hatchet and antler.
These, as far as we know, are the first discover
ed evidences of the presence of man in those early
geological records Of the worlds history. Profess
sor HOLMES, surprised and gratifed at such un-
looked for rewards Of his researches nevertheless
curbed his enthusiasm, and did not publish these
facts, being determined to await corroboration-
satisfied that nature is her own best interpreter,
and that in due course of time. light from some
source would come and illumine this dark page Of
geogony We commend his prudence and his
modesty, but cannot help regretting that, bv this
delay, he has probably lost the honors due to
priority Of : ,,oyery; for the laurels usually
awarded to first publication rather than to first
discovery
Professor HOLMES did not have to wait long for
corroboration. At the session of juno %, 1852
the Imperial Society OF Emulation, Abbevile
tFrance), letter to the President was read from
Mr. JOSEPH PREsrwIoK, member OF the Royal
Society, in which he says that he is convinced that
''those axes were found in an undisturbed deposit
(terr0in Jie1ge), and associated with the bones of
the great mammifers;" that this ''opnon is both
correct and well founded" Mr.. JOHN EVANS men,
ber of the Geological and Antiquarian Societies OF
London, remarked: "I WAS present at the sitting
of the ROYAL Society when Mr.. PRrsrwIcK read his
report on the stone axes found in the diluvium,
and add my testimony to his" After speaking
of the axe that his colleague had just discovered
in the diuvium, in Suffolk, Mr.. EVANS, who had
! accompanied Mr.. PREsTwIcK in his first visit to
Abbeville, and assisted him in his explorations,
says: 81 am satisfied these instruments of flint
will be found in many other localities if the search
| for them be properly conducted"
MIR. EVANS surmise was correct. There had
| already been, for several years. in the Museum Of
tho College of Charleston, fine collection OF these
several evidences of the presence of man during
the post-pleiocene epoch. Flint hatchets and other
utensils have since been discovered also in Eng
land, and in other parts of France; likewise in
Florida and in California.
The natural inquiry arises at this point, viz: Il
| the remains OF domestic animals and the imple
mcnts of human industry have been found in these
beds, how is it that no signs of human bones have
hitherto been detected here? 1t is true none such
have been observed in the Ashley River bed; bui
| Count PoURrALAIs, a French sorant, who a few
years ago made geological tour through the
United States, discovered fragments Of two maxil
larry bones, undoubtedly belonging to the human
species His discovery, We learn, is we'll authenti
Gated. In the caves in England also human bones
have been found, associated in the same geological
strata with the fossils Of extinct species OF ami
mails. Professor HOLMES, thinks that the absence
of human remains proves nothing against the the
ory, otherwise SO strongly supported, of the exist
ence of man in the postpleocene period. He ii
confident that ere many years the valley of tn
dry bones, the gravegardof that prehistoric era
will be found, and its discovery will shed furthe
rayof light upon this interesting subject.
But the data already at our command furnisl
ample basis for a superstructure Of theory. w
have in the first place shells and Divers forms o
marine deposits, clearly belonging to the eoeene
among remains Of the pleiocene and post-pleiocen
periods. 2. The fossils Of extinct mammifers ant
sauroids are here found side by side with the bone
of animals, in all particulars the same as thos
now roaming our forests, as the deer, rabbit
muskrat, beaver, &C. 8. The bed contains als
the remains of the horse, the OK, the sheep, th
hog and the dog, and these in no essential differ
ing from the bones Of these species, as we hoy
know them T. In addition to finding these re
mains of different epochs all in juxtaposition, VI
further have traces Of human art in the shape
pottery, found in this bed, and also spear ant
arrow heads, and .hatchets Of flint and ivory-al
similar in form to those dug from the 1ndall
mounds in the upper parts of our State, but mucl
ruder in form, and more abraded BY the action {,
L Wa oCrraQ Will