42 Proceedings. 



Cape of Good Hope I have a few early types made of a curious 

 rock in wliich silica predominates. In the Admiralty Islands, 

 in Mexico, and indeed in many other places, obsidian, a 

 volcanic sort of glass, is extensively used ; and it is of such 

 value as a material for cutting implements that I understand 

 some natives actually shave with flakes of this material. In 

 the earth-mounds of North America thousands of beautifully- 

 shaped weapons have been found of a kind of quartzite, and 

 some of a fine milk-white quartz. I have also seen others of 

 a crystal-clear Chalcedony, and others again, to which I shall 

 refer later on, of Jasper and Carnelian, all of which stones are 

 forms of silica. 



As already stated, I believe that before man learnt how to 

 fabricate any kind of weapon whatever he used such natural 

 or rough stones as suggested themselves to his requirements. 

 I have often found flints fractured by frost or other natural 

 causes which were, in a way, nearly as serviceable as chipped 

 weapons. From such rude models he would in course of 

 time have tried to fashion suitable tools for himself, and he 

 succeeded in a manner that must surprise everyone who 

 considers what stubborn material flint is, and what difficulties 

 must have presented themselves to a man with no other 

 apparatus to fabricate with than his hands and pieces of stone 

 as a hammer. Even in our own time the makers of gun- 

 flints do not, even with their many forms of steel hammers, 

 &c., get through their work without much practice and skill, 

 and a gun-flint is a poor thing compared with a spear-head, 

 arrow-head, or celt. 



One thing is very certain and most interesting, namely, 

 that the same wants and necessities called forth the same 

 kinds of implements in all parts of the world where such 

 things are now found, so that we find celts and adzes, piercers 

 and scrapers, spear-heads and arrow-heads, knives and sling- 

 stones, fish-gorges and fish-hooks, from the Ai'ctic to the 

 Antarctic regions, and from America to India and Africa. I 

 will not go into the details of such common types as knives, 

 arrow-heads, spears, celts, and such familiar objects, beyond 

 referring to the specimens I have brought, many of which I 



