Vol. 60.] PROBABLE PALEOLITHIC FLOOR AT PRAH SANDS. 109 



be due to the intractable nature of the only material available. 

 Vein-quartz breaks with a rough, splintery, fracture, for each 

 lump is usually made up of portions of many crystals, and the 

 material will not flake like Chalk-Hint or like large crystals of 

 quartz. Xo other local material is suitable for flaking into im- 

 plements, for Chalk-flints are rare here and seldom occur in big 

 pieces, while the granite, elvan, and slates are unworkable. The 

 greenstone found in the neighbourhood is an extremely-tough rock, 

 difficult to trim : but, though it is so suitable for hammer-stones, 

 we found only one or two small pieces of it in the black seam. 

 These, like the slate, were much decayed, and apparently had not 

 been used. 



Fig. 2. — Rude implement (?) made of vein-quartz. (See p. 110.) 



[Photographed natural size.] 



The quantity of charcoal observed, and the number of hearths 

 found (six or seven) were surprising ; but this bay must have been 

 a particularly-favourable locality for occupation. It faces south, 

 is sheltered by high land, and behind the terrace of raised beach the 

 old sea-cliff in all probability furnished many dry caves suitable for 

 dwellings. Within a few yards was also a stream of fresh water. 



Above the black seam just described come several feet of loamy 

 drift, in which the stones consist almost entirely of vein-quartz. 

 Such a material is at the present day the ordinary soil of the 



