Rock-Engravings of Animals and the Hitman Figure. 415 



We have, however, Dr. Eogers' evidence about the modern 

 attempts at rock-engraving occurring along the Kuruman Eiver. 

 The Eev. Westphal's testimony to the same effect cannot be ignored 

 or passed by. 



But there is more evidence that goes to show that these semi- 

 circled ruins " with very low walls," brought to our notice by Mr. A. 

 du Toit, have, if they are of ancient origin, been singularly success- 

 fully imitated quite lately. Dr. Eogers, indeed, informs me that at 

 Takoon (? Litaku) became across " schaanzes " — read parapets — 

 half-moon shaped, set against each other and covering a distance of 

 from two to three hundred yards. From residents in the neighbour- 

 hood he heard that part of those fortifications were built at the time 

 of Sir Charles Warren's expedition about the 'eighties, but that these 

 were additions to work of an earlier period — about a century — built 

 for the defence of the place against natives coming from the north. 

 Compare the ruins mentioned by Mr. du Toit, and exactly of the 

 same shape as those recent ones of which Dr. Eogers tells us ; add 

 the testimony of the Eev. Moffat, and the details given by him as to 

 the shape of the engraved designs made by the Bechuana herds, and 

 which correspond so well with the sketches given by Mr. du Toit, 

 and I think that the evidence goes against Stow's assumption that 

 Bushmen must be credited with the raising of these ** scherms " and 

 the engravings of the designs on the dolomitic surface of the pans, 

 and also that in this instance the Eev. Moffat has proved his 

 contention that the engravings are most likely to have been the 

 work of the Bechuanas. 



Carefully sifted information tends to the belief that some of the 

 Bush people were more gregarious than it is generally assumed. 

 But without dilating here on this subject, which will be treated in 

 another article, it may be contended that were they living or residing 

 in the "towns" or " stads " mentioned by Stow, some evidence of 

 their having done so would be forthcoming in the shape of a necro- 

 polis, of a sort. Surely if they lived at one spot they also died 

 there. Now, no traces of sepulture are found in the neighbourhood 

 of these agglomerations of rock-paintings, nor where they occur 

 singly or, it may be said, spasmodically. Mr. J. E. Connan, one 

 of my correspondents, who is taking as great an interest as myself 

 in trying to elucidate the antiquity of these rock-engravings, of 

 which a great number of a high type of finish occur on his property 

 between Prieska and Upington in the Cape ^Colony, is very emphatic 

 on this point. In answer to my questions he states : "I am at one 

 with you that Bushmen were not people that lived in large com- 

 munities, and that these engravings were not made for the purpose 



