NOTES ON SOME BUSHMAN PAINTINGS. 421 



boys and by Europeans, some of whom have had the impudence 

 to leave their mark ; by exfoHation of the rock and other weather- 

 ing agencies ; by smoke from fires, sometimes of the circumcision 

 lodges which are frequently housed in the shelters ; by the rubbing 

 against them of cattle ; the splashing over them of unsavoury 

 cave deposits and the chemical action of these. Indeed, when 

 one considers the variety of the destructive agencies to which they 

 have been subjected, the only wonder is that any remain to tell 

 the tale of their former glory. 



But even as they are, in ruin, they are well worth preservation, 

 and the writer cannot but think that it is the duty of this Associa- 

 tion to urge the Government of Basutoland to take measures 

 speedily for the preservation of works of art that, with care, might 

 continue for many a year to adorn the rock-shelters of this fas- 

 cinating country. 



Other relics of the Bushman, such as skeletons, ornaments and 

 implements, were not found in the shelters ; but the recent deposits 

 on the floors are so thick that, without excavation, this was 

 scarcely to be expected. 



A few agate arrow-heads were picked up on the summit of 

 Thaba Bosigo, and other implements would probablv have been 

 found, had it been possible to make a careful search. 



The old chiefs and natives were much amused bv the interest 

 shewn in the puny Baroa, but they were most willing to give 

 whatever information they could about them. Unfortunately, this 

 amounted to very little. 



As for the young Mosuto, he seems neither to know, nor to 

 care, about the history of his race and of his countrv. 



THE PROPOSED NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN. 



— The recent decease of Dr. H. Bolus, F.L.S., and his munificent 

 bequest to the South African College, for the purposes of botani- 

 cal study, will impart an added interest to his view*s on the estab- 

 lishment of a National Botanic Garden. Scarcely four months 

 have passed since those views were placed on record in the form 

 of a letter to Prof. Pearson, who has kindly permitted its publi- 

 cation. Dr. Bolus wrote as follows : — " My dear Pearson, — 

 It is now some time since you were so good as to send me a copv 

 of your address as President of Section C of the meeting of the 

 South African Association for the Advancement of Science, in 

 which you so ably advocated the establishment of a National Bo- 

 tanic Garden. The subject, of course, was not a new one ; 

 since it was first brought forward many years ago. But it is 

 simple justice to say that never before have all the arguments 

 in its favour been so systematically and convincingly marshalled 

 as to show to every one who will take the trouble to read them 

 the immense importance of such an Institution, and the great 

 advantages to the progress and well being of the new South 

 Africa, even from a material point of view, which might be ex- 

 pected to flow from it. 



