We need not enter further into these controversies, and we need only say that flint implements of various kinds are found all over the world, in Egypt before the Pharaohs, in Australia, in South Africa, and indeed in every continent. They are being made even to-day by aborigines in Australasia, and there is even a "flint knapping" industry which survives to-day at Brandon, in Suffolk, though these flints are not intended for use as spear-heads or arrow-heads or anything so primitive. There is little geological evidence to show the place where man first appeared; but what we know of his frame and constitution induces us to believe that somewhere in the warm climate of Southern Asia was his first habitation. From this, or from some similar tract in that quarter of the globe, there seems to have been four great migratory movements. These were complicated by reverse movements, by cross migrations, and by wanderings, which we shall probably never altogether understand; and so we can only sum up briefly the chief features of them.
The greatest movement appears to have been north-eastward between the great desert and mountain tract of Central Asia on the one hand, and the Pacific on the other, attended by divergences eastward to many islands (as they are now) of the Pacific. When the emigrants got too far north to wish to explore further, they spread out to east and west, forming a belt below the Arctic regions and sending a branch down the whole length of the American Continent. This movement embraced the Mongoloid races, and included the old American Indians and the Malayan races. Before the disturbing influences of man's later development, this branch had three notable centres of civilisation: the Chinese in Asia, the Mexican in North America, and the Peruvian in South America.
A second and much less numerous band of emigrants struck out to the south-east, and reaching the southern hemisphere gave rise to the Australian and New Zealand aboriginal races--all peoples who never rose very much or developed notable power.
To a third movement to the south-west is assigned the peopling of Africa south of the Sahara with the negro and similar races, which have become very numerous but never very powerful or intelligent.