Valley of the Black River. 39 



more ancient weapons were found on the hill-sides, 

 in places where the river cuts into the plateau. 

 The site where I picked up the largest number 

 had been buried to a depth of seven or eight feet ; 

 only where the water after heavy rains had washed 

 great masses of sand and gravel away, the arrow- 

 heads, with other weapons and implements, had 

 been exposed. These deeply-buried settlements 

 were doubtless very ancient. 



Coming back to the more modern work, I was 

 delighted to find traces of a something like division 

 of labour in different villages ; of the individuality 

 of the worker, and a distinct artistic or aesthetic 

 taste. I was led to this conclusion by the dis- 

 covery of a village site where no large round stones, 

 knives and scrapers were found, and no large 

 arrow-heads of the usual type. The only arrow- 

 heads at this spot were about half an inch long, 

 and were probably used only to shoot small birds 

 and mammals. Not only were they minute bub 

 most exquisitely finished, with a fine serration, 

 and, without an exception, made of some beautiful 

 stone crystal, agate, and green, yellow, and horn- 

 coloured flint. It was impossible to take half-a- 

 dozen of these gems of colour and workmanship 

 in the hand and not be impressed at once with 

 the idea that beauty had been as much an aim 

 to the worker as utility. Along with these fine 

 arrow-heads I found nothing except one small 

 well-pointed dagger of red stone, its handle a 

 cross, about four inches long, and as slender 



