﻿STONE 
  IMPLEMENTS 
  IN 
  LATERITE. 
  49 
  

  

  There 
  appear 
  to 
  me 
  several 
  objections 
  to 
  this 
  suggestion: 
  — 
  Firstly.— 
  

   , 
  In 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Peninsula 
  chipped 
  stone 
  imple- 
  

   tlieor 
  y- 
  ments 
  have 
  as 
  yet 
  never 
  been 
  found 
  excepting 
  in, 
  

  

  or 
  on, 
  lateritic 
  formations, 
  or 
  in 
  their 
  immediate 
  neighbourhood, 
  at 
  such 
  

   levels 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  evident 
  whence 
  they 
  were 
  washed 
  down. 
  None 
  occurs 
  in, 
  

   or 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  of, 
  the 
  various 
  younger 
  alluvia, 
  in 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  they 
  

   would 
  surely 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  had 
  the 
  implement-makers 
  lived 
  later 
  than 
  

   the 
  laterite 
  period. 
  Considering 
  how 
  many 
  outliers 
  and 
  separate 
  areas 
  

   of 
  lateritic 
  conglomerate 
  are 
  scattered 
  over 
  the 
  Madras 
  area, 
  in, 
  or 
  on 
  the 
  

   surface 
  of, 
  most 
  of 
  which 
  quartzite 
  implements 
  have 
  been 
  found, 
  and 
  

   often 
  in 
  large 
  numbers, 
  it 
  is 
  remarkable 
  that 
  none 
  have 
  as 
  yet 
  been 
  

   found 
  in 
  the 
  younger 
  formations 
  separating 
  the 
  several 
  outliers 
  and 
  areas 
  

   of 
  the 
  laterite. 
  

  

  Secondly. 
  — 
  The 
  color 
  or 
  stain 
  derived 
  from 
  the 
  matrix 
  and 
  the 
  

   general 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  quartzite 
  shingle 
  found, 
  often 
  

   in 
  large 
  quantities, 
  lying 
  loose 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  laterite 
  beds, 
  

   perfectly 
  agrees, 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  my 
  own 
  observation 
  goes, 
  with 
  the 
  color 
  

   and 
  surface 
  condition, 
  i. 
  <?., 
  degree 
  and 
  nature 
  of 
  weathering 
  of 
  the 
  

   implements 
  found 
  lying 
  equally 
  loose 
  on 
  the 
  surface. 
  Now, 
  it 
  is 
  highly 
  

   unlikely 
  that 
  the 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  quartzite 
  shingle 
  met 
  with 
  on 
  the 
  

   surface 
  of 
  the 
  laterite 
  in 
  very 
  many 
  places 
  should 
  have 
  been 
  deposited 
  

   there 
  by 
  the 
  same 
  accidental 
  causes 
  which, 
  it 
  was 
  suggested, 
  had 
  brought 
  

   the 
  implements 
  into 
  the 
  positions 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  were 
  found, 
  and 
  yet, 
  as 
  

   above 
  stated, 
  the 
  external 
  characters 
  of 
  the 
  gravel 
  and 
  implements 
  admit 
  

   of 
  no 
  distinction. 
  I 
  cannot, 
  therefore, 
  help 
  thinking 
  that 
  the 
  implements 
  

   were 
  deposited 
  contemporaneously 
  with 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  laterite 
  

   formation. 
  

  

  Thirdly. 
  — 
  The 
  evidence 
  of 
  the 
  section 
  at 
  Amerumbode 
  (quoted 
  a 
  

   few 
  pages 
  back) 
  in 
  which 
  an 
  implement 
  was 
  found 
  imbedded 
  in 
  the 
  

   laterite 
  fully 
  3 
  feet 
  below 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  bed, 
  is 
  completely 
  opposed 
  

   to 
  the 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  implements 
  belonging 
  to 
  a 
  later 
  and 
  younger 
  age. 
  

   g 
  ( 
  49 
  : 
  ) 
  

  

  