New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-07-15
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
LYELRs ANTIQUITY OF MAN.

LYELLiS ANTIQUITY OF MAN.
EHE GEOLOGICAL EVIDENCES OF THE AMI, ANIi-
guilty OF NAN. BY Sir CHARLES Iin,neo1i a
Edition revised. svo pp. 672. j. d. lAPPin00"
Co
The first edition of this work was published Just
ten years ago. and contained the earliest expression
of the authors views concerning the prehistoric age
Of man, and of his acceptance OF the DarWihlan
theory Of the origin Of species Two successive eo-
tons followed before the close OF 1868 and the fourth
edition which is now issued embodes the proofs OF
mans antiquity which have accumulated since that
time introducing such new matter as was necessary
to bring the subject up to the present state of
knowledge The position of Sir Charles Lyel in the
field of natural science gives more than ordinary
authority to his statements, and makes the present
volume the most important, as well the most
recent exponent of the theory which assigns to the
existence of man upon earth date far anterior to
the received historical records. succinct summary
of its contents will place our readers in possession of
the views of the prehistoric school, with the latest
evidences that have been brought forward in their
support.
For the last half-century, the occasional discovery
IN many parts of Europe of the bones of man ID con-
DectlOn with the remains of the extinct hy&na'
bear elephant, rhinoeeros, has given rse 10 tne
suspicion that the origin of the race must oe caleu
back to an earlier period than had been mtner'o
supposed. But the evidence was received WIN eA-
IRENE caution Scientific men were reluctant 10 al
nit its validity But in the year 1855 new lac'e
were brought to light in exploring cave In DeNon
shire which gave fresh impulse TO the curiosity u
the British public and led to the beiief that tne
prevailing skepticsm on the subject hao Deen pusheu
TO An extreme. Since that time. unexpected evil
denee has been furnished both in England and
on the continent. Between the years 1860 and
1878 the author himself has taken active part In
the researches to which THE volume is devoted and
here describes their progress and results with UMPIRE
tending frankness and simplicity,
The first discovery of fossil ANIMALS belonging 70
extinct species, with which human remains were
found associated, described by Sir Charles Lyell
was made by Dr. SchmeTling in 1881, in the valley of
the Mouse near Liege Many of the caverns which
he explored had never been entered by scientific OBJ
servers. Their floors were incr6sted with unbroken
stalagmite. The bones of man were so rolled and
scattered to preclude the idea of Intentional bu-
rial They of the same color and with the same
amount Of animal matter as those of the aceompa-
nying animals The human remains of most ire
quent occurrence teeth detached from the jaw,
and bones of the hand and foot detached from the
rest of the skeleton. There were no gnawed bones,
DOR ooprolites Hence, Dr. Schmerling inferred that
the cavens had not been the dens Of wild beasts, but
that their contents had been swept into them by
streams communicating with the surface of the
country. The occurrence here and there of bones
in very perfect state of several bones belonging
10 the same skeleton in natural ORDER while many
of the accompanying bones were rolled, broken. OF
raecaved was accounted for by surprising that por-
items of carcasses were sometimes 1Oated in during
floods while sti clothed with their flesh. No exam
pie was discovered of an entire skeleton. In one
cavern the remains of at least three human beings
were disinterred. The skull of one of these was I'M
bedded by the side Of mammoths tooth. II was
entire but so fragile that nearly all of it fell 10
pieces during its extraction. Another skull was IN
sufficient state of integrity to enable the anatomst
20 speculate on the race to which ii belonged The
human bones occurred at all depths in the
mud and gravel, sometimes above and some
times below those of the bear, elephant,
Ihinoceros, hy@na, and other animals. Rude
flint instruments were found generally dispersed
through the cave-mud None of these could
have been introduced at later period they were
In the same position as the animal remains. II
therefore, says DR.. SchmerlinE attach great i'm
pOrtance TO their presence, for even If had not
found the human bones under conditions entirely
favorable TO their bengsconsdered as belonging to
the antediluvian epoch, proofs of mans existence
would still have been supplied by the cut bones and
worked tlints." He therefore concludes from the
various facts ascertained by him that man once
lived in the Liege district cotempOraneOusly with
the cavebear and several other extinct species Of
Quadrupeds. On visit to DR.. SchmeFling in 1888,
the author who at that time was incredulous as TO
the supposed antiquity of the fossil human bones
the ground that man was a species of more recent
date expressed his doubts the subject, when the
former remarked that one might just as well doubt
the cOexstence of all the Otherving species such
the red deer, roe, wild cat wild boar, wolf fox,
weasel beaver, hare, rabbit, hedgehog, mole, dor
mouse water-rat. and others, the bones of which
were unfortunately scattered through the same
mud with the extinct quadrupeds. Since then, Sir
Charles Lye has found to change his opinion.
HenOw considers that the accumulated evidence pro-
duced by DIR. Schmerng is entitled to great weight,
as a proof that man had lived upon the earth at
earlier period than biologists were then willing to
believe AS an excuse for his sowness of faith, be
pleads the natural hesitation to receive discovery
which contradicts the general tenor of pre-
yious researches. 1t would have been no easy
task even for one well skilled IN geology
and osteOlogy to follow the Belgian philosopher
through every stage of his observations and proofs.
ITO be let down, as SchmeTllng was day after day,
by rope tied TO tree as to slide to the foot OF
the first opening of the EngIs cave, where the best
preserved human skulls were found; and after thus
gaining access to the first subteHanean gallery 70
creep on allfOurs through a contracted passage 10
larger chambers. then 10 superntend by torcLllght
week after week and year after year, the workmen
who were breaking through the staagmitic crust as
bard as marble in order TO remove piece by piece the
underlying bone breccia nearly hard; 10 stand
for hours with ones feet in the mud and with water
dripping from the roof on ones head. in order TO
mark the position and guard against the loss Of
each single bone Of skeleton, aud at length, after
finding leisure strength and courage for all these
operations to look forward, as the fruits OF ones
labor 10 the publication Of unwelcOme intelligence