No. 58. —1907.] PREHISTORIC STONES IN CEYLON. 275 



No. 9. Some unworked flakes and chips from the prehis- 

 toric camps. 



No. 10. One set of chips taken from one camping spot on 

 Deeside estate. 



No. 11. One set of chips taken from one camping spot on 

 Scarborough estate. 



It is much to be regretted that two or three years previous 

 to this exhibit being prepared, all good and likely " flakes " had 

 been removed from the vicinity and are now in the collection 

 forwarded to the Drs. Sarasin. They might have made Nos. 10 

 and 11 more interesting. 



No. 12. Three crystals, which may represent boring tools, 

 one of which has apparently been used as such ; one seems 

 to have been used until the point broke ; the third crystal, I 

 believe, has never been in use. 



No. 13. One crystal which may have been used as a chisel, 

 as both ends seem to have been at work. 



No. 14. One lot of crystals of an entirely different nature, 

 probably of the former age ; a softer stone must have been 

 made use of previous to the discovery of the crystal quartz. 

 The form appears of older type, and the intention can be seen 

 clearly in three or four of the specimens. The stone is rare in 

 Maskeliya, and very few examples of this nature have been 

 found as yet. 



The (?) Eotithic Age. 



No. 14. A few words on these stones. There remains 

 much of great interest to be worked out, chiefly in discovering^ 

 if possible, some implement which extends a probability of an 

 earlier manufacture. 



With a knowledge of the present-age Vedda, and these 

 prehistoric flakes before us, it is extremely difficult to imagine 

 anything more crude and simple. We must therefore theorize 

 on the material : Had these people always made use of vitreous 

 crystals ? The answer is plainly " No" ! There was a time 

 when a softer stone was known which answered all of their 

 purposes fairly well ; the rock they made use of was of a com- 

 moner and coarser nature, and much softer. 



The vitreous crystal was the greatest discovery of this (?) 

 Eolithic age, whose flakes and implements were of the nature 



