402 Transactions of the South African Philosophicat Society. 



is of a much more complicated nature, and it includes occasionally 

 lines in relief. 



This is well shown in Fig. 2 of Plate VIII. which represents an 

 elephant fleeing before a hunter armed with bow and arrow. The 

 lines intended to represent the corrugation of the skin are in relief, 

 and in relief also is the somewhat slender tail, which is, however, 

 not well brought out in the photograph. Apart from the real artistic 

 merit of the intaglio process, the attitude of the animal in flight 

 before its pursuer is amazingly correct. The manner in which the 

 ears are carried, the hanging down of the lower lip, the curvature of 

 the back, the bending backwards of the left fore foot, the manner 

 in which the left hind leg is thrown back are absolutely exact, and 

 denote a keen power of observation on the part of the sculptor. The 

 figure of the man is, as usual, very poor in design, but in this 

 instance one notices in it an expression of activity ; the hunter is 

 plainly running after its quarry, and the sex is not apparent. 



This rock-engraving is probably the best of its kind as yet 

 discovered. I have, however, been told of another hunting scene 

 (several men attacking a rhinoceros) which, my informant pro- 

 nounces, after an inspection of this engraved stone, to be equally 

 good in finish. 



Fig. 1 of Plate VIII. is that of another elephant going peacefully 

 aloDg. The ears alone are in relief, and the whole body is carefully 

 chipped ; the intaglio bringing out the outlines of the thighs is 

 executed in a masterly manner. 



Fig. 3 of Plate IX. is in point of excellence second only to Fig. 2 

 of Plate VIII. It is that of a buffalo {Buhalus cafer), and is wholly 

 hollowed out, but the two lines indicating the horns are in bold 

 relief. The attitude of the animal, the switching of its tail, is full of 

 life. As a study of nature at rest, it can be matched only by Fig. 7 

 of Plate X. representing a female Koodoo {Strejpsiceros Kudu). The 

 next sculptures in order of merit are the two giraffes in Plate XL 

 In both, the large spots of the skin are executed in bold relief, the 

 chipped-off interstices being in places as much as 8 mm. deep. 

 Fig. 12 is in motion, and the four legs are clearly delineated ; 

 Fig. 13 seems to be at rest, only two legs are there shown. The 

 execution of these figures is so good, that it seems probable that 

 what might appear at first sight to be a defect in technique, is 

 in reality the result of consummate skill, the absence or the 

 presence of two or four legs being intended to convey the im- 

 pression that the animal is either resting or on the move (see 

 also Figs. 4 of Plate IX., 1 and 2 of Plate XIV., &c.). I may 

 add that in all likelihood, the rock-engravings here mentioned 



