The Professor in His Chair Again

To understand this apostrophe of my uncle's, made to absent French savants, it will be necessary to allude to an event of high importance in a palæontological point of view, which had occurred a little while before our departure.

To understand my uncle’s remark addressed to French scientists who were not present, I must mention an important event. It had happened shortly before our departure and was of great importance to paleontology.

On the 28th of March, 1863, some excavators working under the direction of M. Boucher de Perthes, in the stone quarries of Moulin Quignon, near Abbeville, in the department of Somme, found a human jawbone fourteen feet beneath the surface. It was the first fossil of this nature that had ever been brought to light. Not far distant were found stone hatchets and flint arrow-heads stained and encased by lapse of time with a uniform coat of rust.

On March 28, 1863, excavators found a human jawbone fourteen feet below the surface. They were working under the direction of M. Boucher de Perthes in the stone quarries of Moulin Quignon. The quarries were near Abbeville, in the department of Somme. It was the first fossil of its kind ever discovered. Stone hatchets and flint arrowheads were found nearby. Over time, they had become stained and covered with an even coat of rust.

The noise of this discovery was very great, not in France alone, but in England and in Germany. Several savants of the French Institute, and amongst them MM. Milne-Edwards and de Quatrefages, saw at once the importance of this discovery, proved to demonstration the genuineness of the bone in question, and became the most ardent defendants in what the English called this 'trial of a jawbone.' To the geologists of the United Kingdom, who believed in the certainty of the fact—Messrs. Falconer, Busk, Carpenter, and others—scientific Germans were soon joined, and amongst them the forwardest, the most fiery, and the most enthusiastic, was my uncle Liedenbrock.

The discovery caused a great stir, not only in France, but also in England and Germany. Several scientists at the French Institute immediately saw its importance, including MM. Milne-Edwards and de Quatrefages. They proved beyond doubt that the bone was genuine. They became its most passionate defenders in what the English called this 'trial of a jawbone.' Scientists from Germany soon joined the British geologists who were convinced of the discovery. These geologists included Messrs. Falconer, Busk, Carpenter, and others. Among the Germans, my uncle Liedenbrock was the most outspoken, fiery, and enthusiastic.

Therefore the genuineness of a fossil human relic of the quaternary period seemed to be incontestably proved and admitted.

Therefore, the fossil human relic from the Quaternary period seemed to be unquestionably authentic, and its authenticity was accepted.

It is true that this theory met with a most obstinate opponent in M. Elie de Beaumont. This high authority maintained that the soil of Moulin Quignon was not diluvial at all, but was of much more recent formation; and, agreeing in that with Cuvier, he refused to admit that the human species could be contemporary with the animals of the quaternary period. My uncle Liedenbrock, along with the great body of the geologists, had maintained his ground, disputed, and argued, until M. Elie de Beaumont stood almost alone in his opinion.

It is true that M. Elie de Beaumont was a stubborn opponent of this theory. This respected authority argued that the soil at Moulin Quignon was not diluvial at all, but had formed much more recently. He agreed with Cuvier that humans could not have lived at the same time as animals of the quaternary period. My uncle Liedenbrock, along with most geologists, stood his ground, debating and arguing until M. Elie de Beaumont was almost alone in his opinion.

We knew all these details, but we were not aware that since our departure the question had advanced to farther stages. Other similar maxillaries, though belonging to individuals of various types and different nations, were found in the loose grey soil of certain grottoes in France, Switzerland, and Belgium, as well as weapons, tools, earthen utensils, bones of children and adults. The existence therefore of man in the quaternary period seemed to become daily more certain.

We knew all these details, but we did not know that the question had progressed further since our departure. Other similar jawbones had been found in the loose gray soil of certain caves in France, Switzerland, and Belgium. They belonged to individuals of various types and different nations. Weapons, tools, pottery, and the bones of children and adults had also been found there. The existence of humans in the Quaternary period therefore seemed to grow more certain every day.

Nor was this all. Fresh discoveries of remains in the pleiocene formation had emboldened other geologists to refer back the human species to a higher antiquity still. It is true that these remains were not human bones, but objects bearing the traces of his handiwork, such as fossil leg-bones of animals, sculptured and carved evidently by the hand of man.

That was not all. New discoveries of remains in the Pliocene formation encouraged other geologists to place the origins of humanity even further back. These remains were not human bones, however. They were objects bearing traces of human handiwork, such as fossilized animal leg bones that had evidently been sculpted and carved by humans.

Thus, at one bound, the record of the existence of man receded far back into the history of the ages past; he was a predecessor of the mastodon; he was a contemporary of the southern elephant; he lived a hundred thousand years ago, when, according to geologists, the pleiocene formation was in progress.

Thus, in a single leap, the record of human existence reached far back into the distant past. Humans came before the mastodon and lived at the same time as the southern elephant. They lived a hundred thousand years ago, when, according to geologists, the Pliocene formation was taking place.

Such then was the state of palæontological science, and what we knew of it was sufficient to explain our behaviour in the presence of this stupendous Golgotha. Any one may now understand the frenzied excitement of my uncle, when, twenty yards farther on, he found himself face to face with a primitive man!

That was the state of paleontology at the time. What we knew of the science was enough to explain our behavior before this immense Golgotha. Anyone can now understand my uncle’s wild excitement when, twenty yards farther on, he came face to face with a primitive man!

It was a perfectly recognisable human body. Had some particular soil, like that of the cemetery St. Michel, at Bordeaux, preserved it thus for so many ages? It might be so. But this dried corpse, with its parchment-like skin drawn tightly over the bony frame, the limbs still preserving their shape, sound teeth, abundant hair, and finger and toe nails of frightful length, this desiccated mummy startled us by appearing just as it had lived countless ages ago. I stood mute before this apparition of remote antiquity. My uncle, usually so garrulous, was struck dumb likewise. We raised the body. We stood it up against a rock. It seemed to stare at us out of its empty orbits. We sounded with our knuckles his hollow frame.

It was clearly a human body. Had some special soil, like that of the St. Michel cemetery in Bordeaux, preserved it for so many ages? Perhaps. But the dried corpse startled us because it looked just as it had countless ages ago. Its parchment-like skin was stretched tightly over its bones, and its limbs still held their shape. Its teeth were intact, its hair was thick, and its fingernails and toenails were frighteningly long. I stood silent before this apparition from the distant past. My uncle, usually so talkative, was speechless too. We lifted the body and stood it against a rock. It seemed to stare at us from its empty eye sockets. We tapped its hollow frame with our knuckles.

After some moments' silence the Professor was himself again. Otto Liedenbrock, yielding to his nature, forgot all the circumstances of our eventful journey, forgot where we were standing, forgot the vaulted cavern which contained us. No doubt he was in mind back again in his Johannæum, holding forth to his pupils, for he assumed his learned air; and addressing himself to an imaginary audience, he proceeded thus:

After a few moments of silence, the Professor was himself again. True to his nature, Otto Liedenbrock forgot everything about our eventful journey. He forgot where we stood and the vaulted cavern around us. No doubt, in his mind, he was back at his Johannæum, lecturing his pupils. He took on his scholarly air and addressed an imaginary audience:

"Gentlemen, I have the honour to introduce to you a man of the quaternary or post-tertiary system. Eminent geologists have denied his existence, others no less eminent have affirmed it. The St. Thomases of palæontology, if they were here, might now touch him with their fingers, and would be obliged to acknowledge their error. I am quite aware that science has to be on its guard with discoveries of this kind. I know what capital enterprising individuals like Barnum have made out of fossil men. I have heard the tale of the kneepan of Ajax, the pretended body of Orestes claimed to have been found by the Spartans, and of the body of Asterius, ten cubits long, of which Pausanias speaks. I have read the reports of the skeleton of Trapani, found in the fourteenth century, and which was at the time identified as that of Polyphemus; and the history of the giant unearthed in the sixteenth century near Palermo. You know as well as I do, gentlemen, the analysis made at Lucerne in 1577 of those huge bones which the celebrated Dr. Felix Plater affirmed to be those of a giant nineteen feet high. I have gone through the treatises of Cassanion, and all those memoirs, pamphlets, answers, and rejoinders published respecting the skeleton of Teutobochus, the invader of Gaul, dug out of a sandpit in the Dauphiné, in 1613. In the eighteenth century I would have stood up for Scheuchzer's pre-adamite man against Peter Campet. I have perused a writing, entitled Gigan—"

"Gentlemen, I have the honor of introducing a man from the Quaternary, or post-Tertiary, period. Eminent geologists have denied that such a man existed. Others, no less eminent, have affirmed his existence. If the doubting Thomases of paleontology were here, they could touch him with their own fingers. They would have to admit their error. I know very well that science must be cautious about discoveries of this kind. I know how much enterprising people like Barnum have made from fossil men. I have heard the stories of Ajax's kneecap and the supposed body of Orestes, which the Spartans claimed to have found. I have also heard of the body of Asterius, ten cubits long, which Pausanias describes. I have read reports of the skeleton found at Trapani in the fourteenth century, which was identified at the time as Polyphemus. I have also read the history of the giant unearthed near Palermo in the sixteenth century. Gentlemen, you know as well as I do about the analysis made at Lucerne in 1577. It concerned huge bones that the celebrated Dr. Felix Plater declared to be those of a giant nineteen feet tall. I have studied the treatises of Cassanion. I have also read all the memoirs, pamphlets, replies, and counter-replies published about the skeleton of Teutobochus, the invader of Gaul. It was dug out of a sandpit in the Dauphiné in 1613. In the eighteenth century, I would have defended Scheuchzer's pre-Adamic man against Peter Campet. I have read a work entitled Gigan..."

Here my uncle's unfortunate infirmity met him—that of being unable in public to pronounce hard words.

Here my uncle ran into his unfortunate difficulty: he could not pronounce hard words in public.

"The pamphlet entitled Gigan—"

"The pamphlet called Gigan..."

He could get no further.

He could go no further.

"Giganteo—"

"Giganteo..."

"Gigantosteologie," at last the Professor burst out, between two words which I shall not record here.

"Gigantosteologie," the Professor finally burst out, between two words I will not repeat here.

Then rushing on with renewed vigour, and with great animation:

Then, rushing on with renewed energy and great enthusiasm:

"Yes, gentlemen, I know all these things, and more. I know that Cuvier and Blumenbach have recognised in these bones nothing more remarkable than the bones of the mammoth and other mammals of the post-tertiary period. But in the presence of this specimen to doubt would be to insult science. There stands the body! You may see it, touch it. It is not a mere skeleton; it is an entire body, preserved for a purely anthropological end and purpose."

"Yes, gentlemen, I know all these things, and more. I know that Cuvier and Blumenbach saw nothing more remarkable in these bones than those of mammoths and other mammals from the post-tertiary period. But to doubt in the presence of this specimen would be an insult to science. There is the body! You can see it and touch it. It is not just a skeleton. It is a complete body, preserved solely for the study of human beings."

I was good enough not to contradict this startling assertion.

I was kind enough not to contradict this startling claim.

"If I could only wash it in a solution of sulphuric acid," pursued my uncle, "I should be able to clear it from all the earthy particles and the shells which are incrusted about it. But I do not possess that valuable solvent. Yet, such as it is, the body shall tell us its own wonderful story."

"If only I could wash it in a solution of sulfuric acid," my uncle continued, "I could remove all the dirt and shells crusted around it. But I don't have that valuable solvent. Still, as it is, the body will tell us its own wonderful story."

Here the Professor laid hold of the fossil skeleton, and handled it with the skill of a dexterous showman.

Here the Professor picked up the fossil skeleton and handled it with the skill of a practiced showman.

"You see," he said, "that it is not six feet long, and that we are still separated by a long interval from the pretended race of giants. As for the family to which it belongs, it is evidently Caucasian. It is the white race, our own. The skull of this fossil is a regular oval, or rather ovoid. It exhibits no prominent cheekbones, no projecting jaws. It presents no appearance of that prognathism which diminishes the facial angle.¹⁵ Measure that angle. It is nearly ninety degrees. But I will go further in my deductions, and I will affirm that this specimen of the human family is of the Japhetic race, which has since spread from the Indies to the Atlantic. Don't smile, gentlemen."

"You see," he said, "that it is less than six feet long. We are still a long way from the supposed race of giants. As for the family it belongs to, it is clearly Caucasian. It is the white race, our own. The fossil's skull is a regular oval, or rather egg-shaped. It has no prominent cheekbones or projecting jaws. It shows no sign of prognathism, the forward projection of the jaw that reduces the facial angle.¹⁵ Measure that angle. It is nearly ninety degrees. But I will go further in my deductions. I will say that this member of the human family is of the Japhetic race. That race has since spread from the Indies to the Atlantic. Don't smile, gentlemen."

Nobody was smiling; but the learned Professor was frequently disturbed by the broad smiles provoked by his learned eccentricities.

Nobody was smiling. But the learned Professor was often troubled by the broad smiles his scholarly eccentricities provoked.

"Yes," he pursued with animation, "this is a fossil man, the contemporary of the mastodons whose remains fill this amphitheatre. But if you ask me how he came there, how those strata on which he lay slipped down into this enormous hollow in the globe, I confess I cannot answer that question. No doubt in the post-tertiary period considerable commotions were still disturbing the crust of the earth. The long-continued cooling of the globe produced chasms, fissures, clefts, and faults, into which, very probably, portions of the upper earth may have fallen. I make no rash assertions; but there is the man surrounded by his own works, by hatchets, by flint arrow-heads, which are the characteristics of the stone age. And unless he came here, like myself, as a tourist on a visit and as a pioneer of science, I can entertain no doubt of the authenticity of his remote origin."

"Yes," he continued eagerly, "this is a fossilized man who lived at the same time as the mastodons whose remains fill this amphitheatre. But how did he get here? How did the layers of earth he lay on slip down into this enormous hollow in the globe? I admit I cannot answer those questions. No doubt, in the post-tertiary period, great upheavals were still disturbing the earth's crust. As the globe slowly cooled, chasms, fissures, clefts, and faults appeared. Portions of the earth's surface very likely fell into them. I make no rash claims. But there is the man, surrounded by things he made, including hatchets and flint arrowheads. These are typical of the Stone Age. Unless he came here, like me, as a tourist and a pioneer of science, I have no doubt that he truly came from that distant age."

The Professor ceased to speak, and the audience broke out into loud and unanimous applause. For of course my uncle was right, and wiser men than his nephew would have had some trouble to refute his statements.

The Professor stopped speaking, and the whole audience burst into loud applause. For my uncle was right, of course. Even men wiser than his nephew would have had trouble disproving his claims.

Another remarkable thing. This fossil body was not the only one in this immense catacomb. We came upon other bodies at every step amongst this mortal dust, and my uncle might select the most curious of these specimens to demolish the incredulity of sceptics.

There was another remarkable thing. This fossil body was not the only one in the vast catacomb. We found other bodies at every step among the dust of the dead. My uncle could choose the most unusual specimens to overcome the doubts of skeptics.

In fact it was a wonderful spectacle, that of these generations of men and animals commingled in a common cemetery. Then one very serious question arose presently which we scarcely dared to suggest. Had all those creatures slided through a great fissure in the crust of the earth, down to the shores of the Liedenbrock sea, when they were dead and turning to dust, or had they lived and grown and died here in this subterranean world under a false sky, just like inhabitants of the upper earth? Until the present time we had seen alive only marine monsters and fishes. Might not some living man, some native of the abyss, be yet a wanderer below on this desert strand?

It was a wonderful sight: generations of people and animals mixed together in a common cemetery. Then a serious question arose, one we scarcely dared to ask. Had all those creatures slid through a great crack in the earth’s crust to the shores of the Liedenbrock sea? Had they fallen there after they had died and begun to turn to dust? Or had they lived, grown, and died here in this underground world beneath a false sky, just like inhabitants of the world above? Until now, we had seen only marine monsters and fish alive. Could some living person, a native of the abyss, still be wandering below on this deserted shore?