1884.] J. Cockburn — Haematite drawings. 143 



I would draw the attention of the Society to the interest and 

 importance which attaches to these cave paintings. They afford an 

 unread volume on the arts, dwellings, weapons, food and religion of an 

 unknown savage race who have in all probability been absorbed into 

 the mass of the great Hindu people. 



In some of the caves there are lengthy petroglyphic records in an 

 unknown character, while others are in some form of Hindee. 



It is quite possible that references exist in ancient Sanskrit litera- 

 ture on the stone-using habits of these people. 



There is a very distinct historical reference to a people who lived 

 on the western borders of the Indian Empire being in a stone age as 

 late as 326 B. 0. In McCrindle's translation of the voyage of Nearkhos, 

 a people whom the General encountered at the mouth of the Tomeros 

 River (identified with the modern Maklow or Hingal River about 160 

 miles from the mouth of the Indus on the Makran Coast) are described 

 as savages with shaggy hair whose nails resembled the claws of wild 

 beasts and were used for tearing open fish, &c. " Things of a hard 

 consistency they cut with sharp stones, for iron they had none," p. 184. A 

 more succinct definition of a people in a stone age it would be difficult to 

 write. They are described as having " carried thick spears about six 

 cubits long not headed with iron, but what was as good hardened at the 

 point by firs," p. 183. 



As the subject of these cave paintings has excited some interest 

 among Anthropologists, and the criticism of the members in question 

 has exercised a prejudicial effect on the general acceptance of the con- 

 clusions I had drawn, I trust the Society will give this letter early 

 publication in the Proceedings. 



Dr. W. King thought that he could give some evidence as to the 

 durability of haamatitic drawing on stone, for he had some years ago, 

 when rambling among the ruined temples of the Telingana country in 

 the Nizam's Dominions, observed that the original outlining of the orna- 

 ment on some of the unfinished cornices was still extant. This was 

 more particularly the case at the temple near Pallianpatt. The material 

 used for the drawing appeared to have been a kind of red ochre, and the 

 drawing looked as fresh as if it had been made a few months before, 

 whereas there is every reason to suppose that it had been made ages 

 ago. He was therefore inclined to go with Mr. Cockburn in his idea of 

 the possibility of haematite drawings lasting for a very long period. 



De. Hoernle observed that he thought the argument from the 

 durability of the material afforded merely negative evidence and, taken 

 by itself, was of very little value. A copper pice, struck yesterday, 

 might, so far as the durability of its metal was concerned, have been 



