The Stone Ages of South Africa. 133 



No artificial stand has as yet been discovered that could have been 

 used foi' these ovoid-conical pots, but, after all, they are singularly 

 well fitted by their shape for propping in the sand of the dunes, or 

 even in the ground. One thing is estabhshed, and it is that this shape 

 prevails all along the littoral, and, in nearly all cases is it found, 

 connected with the culture of the Hottentot race which we call 

 " Strand Looper." 



Except for Kolben, no light is thrown by the early travellers on 

 the pottery-making process of the Hottentots or Bushmen. 



Sparrman, a careful observer, speaking of the Hottentot-Kaffirs, or 

 Gonaquas, which he met on or near the Sunday Eiver (Cape Colony), 

 says that they also keep their milk in bags, but that the basins thej' 

 use for milking are made of roots so closely woven that they hold 

 milk or water. 



The inference therefore is that pure-bred Hottentots used other 

 receptacles, probably earthenware vessels. 



Burchell, who encountered what he calls the Bushmen, states : 

 " They (the Bushmen) received a share of the fat with equal delight, 

 and immediately began to melt it in a little jyot of their own manu- 

 facture, and one which was appai'ently intended only for that use. 

 It was indeed the rudest piece of workmanship imaginable, being 

 simply a rough bit of stone, in which they had contrived to hollow 

 out a small cavity ; it, however, perfectly answered the purpose for 

 which it was used. 



" The figure of this pot may be seen at the end of the chapter, 

 where, opposite to it, on the right, is the representation of another, 

 made of burnt clay, the workmanship of which, if not Bachapin 

 (Bechuana), does them more credit, being moulded to that form by 

 the hand only." ■■'• 



In conclusion, we find that we have in South Africa three styles of 

 pottery ascribable to the Aborigines of Hottentot race. 



The type represented in Cut No. 1 of text-fig. 19, very much re- 

 sembles that of the earthenware vessels made formerly by the 

 Fingoes, Xosas, Basutos, and, even now, fashioned occasionally 

 by them. 



The Cape Town rotund type, text-fig. 20, closely approximates 

 the pots of the Bechuanas. 



The Ovoid-conical type figured in PI. XIX. resembles no other. 



Pottery, however, quite as much as, if not perhaps more than, 

 stone implements retains long its charajceristics. So powerfully 



' The figure given by Burcliell corresponds nearly absolutely to the pot from 

 Kei Road, mentioned on p. 127. 



