The Stone Ages of South Africa. 63 



" It is quite clear that these implements must have been made 

 very close to where they are now found. Very probably the gravel 

 is the sweepings of an adjacent land-surface where the implements 

 were manufactured on a large scale. Many of them are as sharp 

 and fresh as on the days they were made, while obliteration of the 

 sharpness of the facets in others is more often due to weathering 

 than wear." 



Mr. Leslie had sent me these implements, I believe, before Mr. 

 Johnson saw them, and I made copious notes of the same, the gist 

 of which is : (1) That diabasic tools are as much W'Orn and smoothed 

 l)y water agency as those figured on PI. IX. and of those mentioned 

 in the Barkly West deposit ; (2) that the quartzite implements are 

 of a different style of manufacture. They cannot compare in work- 

 manship with the Stellenbosch implements ; they are more of the 

 cutting axe (Mousterian) type, one of the faces having been cleaved 

 at one blow, while the other has often only three broad facets and 

 a few (?) secondary chippings along the edge. Fig. 57 of PI. VIII. 

 is peculiarly instructive ; its shape has been obtained by very few 

 blows, yet it is an effective cleaving tool. (3) These quartzite tools 

 show also signs of wear, but nothing like the diabasic ones. 



The scraper-knives of ;diabase have the edges much rounded and 

 abraded, and several of them are almost polished, as if by water ; 

 but not so the quartzite implements. Although it must not be 

 forgotten that if the matrix, such as quartzite, is more difficult to 

 work than flint or chert, the difficulty the manufacturer of the 

 boucher encountered in working diabasic rock was probably greater. 



We must therefore attach no importance to the assumption that 

 because these two forms are found together they are not only con- 

 temporaneous, but pi'oduced by the same maker. In fact, I believe 

 the contrary was the case. Mr. Johnson, as here quoted, mentions 

 a small pit (in an old river-terrace) where flakes occur in great pro- 

 fusion, and nearly every pebble (which are all of quartzite) has been 

 chipped. 



These diabase, or quartzite, relics were not found alone, however. 

 With them I received from Mr. Leslie the agate, quartz, jasper, 

 cherty, small, somewhat amorphous chips, together with small 

 scrapers of the usual modern type. 



Mr. Leslie's letter in answer to my questions is very clear on the 

 point : — 



" Now to your questions. (1) Have you found on the banks of 

 the river the agate or chert-like small implements mixed with the 

 large ones ? — Yes, but more often the large ones are mixed with the 



