The Stone Ayes of South Africa. 117 



stick could be used onlj' after a start had been made by picking the 

 hole with a sharp implement, of which Cut 7 of Fig. 162 is probably 

 one. And although most of the holes are smooth, many bear very 

 distinct marks of having been produced entirely by rimmers of that 

 type ; some of which, in our possession, are very short. 



The presence or the utility of these implements does not admit of 

 read J' explanation unless they are connected with symbolism. 

 Could it be that the late aboriginals continued to produce uncon- 

 sciousl}' symbols- of whose meaning they had become completely 

 ignorant ? It is true that the evidence of that worship is very 

 meagre ; these phalli, if they are phalli, are rare ; perhaps to them 

 may be added the ornamented stone. Fig. 173 of PL XXIII. 



But, numerous as the ! kwes are, no one has seen them made, 

 neither the early or present Colonists, nor the few existing natives 

 to whom their use is, or was, familiar. 



The better-shaped spheroids are made of rounded river stones, or 

 others. Along the littoral, round beach stones are selected ; and 

 up-country naturally rounded stones are chosen in preference ; but 

 even lava is made use of (No. 3 of Fig. 154) where other material is 

 not easily procurable ; flat pieces of rock are also turned into 

 account (Fig. 152, PI. XX.), and the variety of rock is indeed great. 

 Sandstone, quartzite, porphyry, dolerite, even steatite. There has 

 occasionally, bi\t rarely, been an attempt at smoothing the outer 

 part of the stone, possibly by grinding. But, in the very great 

 majority, the natural contour of the selected spheroid is not improved 

 upon ; many examples are absohitely uneven. 



Neither in the manufacture of his stone implements; be they 

 weapon, tool, or !kwe, or even mortar or grinding-stone, has the 

 maker possessed the technique of artificial polishing or grinding 

 that obtained elsewhere during the Neolithic Period. 



