The Stoiie Ages of South Africa. 151 



dry sea-weed at about 3 feet from the surface. Knowing that 

 there would be a skeleton below this, we removed the earth from 

 above it very carefully, and then took off the covering of sea- 

 weed, leaving the bones exposed. We at once saw that it was the 

 skeleton of a small child having still a full set of milk teeth. It was 

 placed in a crouching position, face downwards, and with arms and 

 legs doubled up behind the body, probably with a view of putting it 

 in as small a hole as possible. In taking up the bones I discovered 

 a number of bits of ostrich egg-shell, each of which had two holes 

 in it.* 



"These had evidently been strung together for a necklace and 

 buried with the child, but there were no other ornaments to be 

 found. The skeleton itself was in a somewhat dilapidated condition, 

 the skull being in several pieces, and the lower jaw broken in half, 

 so that it would appear to have been buried at a very much earlier 

 period than either of the other two skeletons, which were in perfect 

 condition when taken out. The position, at the mouth of the cave, 

 and the depth at which it was buried also point to the same conclu- 

 sion. There seems to have been no sort of ceremony about this 

 funeral, such as placing a tortoise-shell for the head to rest on, nor 

 did I find any implements about the head as was the case in the last 

 discovery." 



At my urgent request Mr. Dumbleton resumed his search, and he 

 investigated five caves at Eob Berg, Knysna District, and found 

 there several skeletons which he sent us with the following account 

 of his search. (See sketch map.) 



" Nos. 1 and 2 are somewhat mutilated skulls which have been 

 disturbed from their original resting-places but left lying in cave 

 No. 1. They are only included for such measurements as may be 

 obtained from them, and are probably of little further use. 



" No. 3 was also found in cave No. 1, very far back, and at about 

 3 feet from the surface lying just above the second of three distinct 

 layers of ash and shell. All the bones found with it have been 

 included with this specimen, but obviously many are still missing, 

 and no trace of them could be found by sifting. A large water-worn 

 stone — evidently used as a mill — (mortar) with a smooth groove on 

 one side was found in close proximity to this skull. 



" Nos. 4 and 5. — These two skeletons of a full-grown person and 

 child were both found in cave No. 3, which, luckily, had never been 



* I have lately seen a disk of the same material with two holes ; and in the 

 district of Willowmore were found bits of Uiiio shells each also with two perfora- 

 tions {cf. PI. XXV., Fig. 187). 



