Ball — On Ancient Stone Implements in India. 391 



tains the implements above mentioned, was probably deposited in the 

 latter part of the period, during which — supposing the deposit to be of 

 sub-marine origin — Peninsular India must have been gradually elevated 

 from 500 to 600 feet, since Mr. Foote has ascertained that the laterite 

 along the western edge of the zone is that amount above present sea 

 level. 



Both Messrs. King and Foote have pointed out that in some cases 

 the implements have been found more abundantly in the vicinity of 

 masses of metamorphic rocks, or on the flanks of hills, which probably 

 stood out as islets in the lateiitic sea, than elsewhere. Mr. Foote has 

 also suggested, as a bare speculation, the possibility of some of the im- 

 plements having been dropped into the waters from the rafts or boats 

 of the ancient inhabitants, while some may have been left by them 

 when they ranged over the flats of laterite which were exposed at low 

 tide. He, at the same time, very properly declines to suggest ice as 

 the transporting agent, and concludes that "the total absence of or- 

 ganic remains from the lateritic formations renders it very difficult to 

 arrive at any satisfactory conclusion as to the circumstances existing 

 during their deposition over such wide-spread areas." 



The above-quoted facts, together with other details given by Mr. 

 Foote, are sufficient, I believe, to prove that vast physical changes 

 have taken place in India since it was first inhabited. That it 

 was a gradually rising island during a portion of these far distant 

 times seems also probable. Intimately connected with this subject 

 are the results which have in late years been arrived at from the 

 study of Comparative Ethnology, and the geographical distribution 

 of plants and animals, from which conclusions as to a former arrange- 

 ment of land surfaces in the Eastern hemisphere have been drawn. 

 But I do not at present propose to do more than thus briefly allude to 

 this aspect of the question. 



Mr. Foote also records the occurrence of stone implements in the 

 Kadapah and Karnul districts, often at considerable elevations, and 

 quite removed from the marginal zone of laterite ; but states that 

 " there is no evidence as yet to prove or disprove the contemporaneity 

 of the high and low level implement-bearing deposits." 



I believe I am correct in saying that the implements from these 

 different elevations do not exhibit any characters serving to distin- 

 guish them from one another respectively — all conform to the general 

 type of chipped quartzites, many varieties of which have been 

 figured by Mr. Foote. It only remains for me to notice the cases 

 where implements belonging to the other two classes have been found 

 in Madras. Mr. Foote describes some discoidal objects, for which he 

 has suggested the title sling-stones, and also some flakes and arrow- 

 heads, which seem to be quite different in character from those from 

 North- "Western India, having been formed probably from chips from 

 the chipped quartzites, and not from cores, in the orthodox manner. 

 In Bajmahendry alone, within the limits of the Madras Presidency, do 

 the true cores and flakes appear to have been met with. 



