PRE-HISTORIC MAN. 
325 
causes, would more readily disappear than tlie harder flint. The 
first weapons of those early people would naturally be a stone, which 
they threw, and a stick which they fashioned into the form of a club 
to strike with, and it is from these primeval implements that Mr. 
Ffooks traces the advent and use of the several flint implements 
found in the district. The stick would become a far more deadly 
weapon if attached to the end of it there was a flint implement, and 
hence the ingenuity of the people was exercised in attaching flints of 
various kinds, by thongs or otherwise, to the end of the stick, and so 
forming, in the first place hatchets, and then spears, darts or 
javelins, and arrows. The stone thrown from the hand gained 
gTeater force when whirled from a sling, hence sling stones. He had 
found many stones which had evidently been formed for holding 
in the hand to strike with. These were sharp at one point, whilst 
the other end was naturally or artificially formed for holding in the 
hand. Of household implements, he describes knives of various kinds, 
scrapers, the most important use of which he considered wasforsplitting 
willows and stripping off the bark and cleaning them for basket work. 
They w^ere also probably used for giving an even and plain surface to 
flat boards, and for this purpose appeared to have been formed straight 
on one side and oblique on the other. Sharp-pointed flints were 
used for making small holes in skins through which some kind of 
thread was passed to fasten the different parts together. He described 
several kinds of flint fish-hooks, which he considered were adapted for 
catching the various fish which occur in great abundance in the 
bay ; and a number of objects of flint, of more or less artistic con- 
struction, which were probably used for ornamental dress fasten- 
ings. The people were not destitute of refinement, and of the com- 
forts of life ; they joined in communities and built their huts in 
regular order ; they were acquainted with the uses of fire, and having 
made bread, it is not likely that their cooking would reach to this 
extent alone. That they had considerable skill in the manufacture 
of wicker work is proved by the Romans when they came as con- 
querors to the island, sending examples of this work to their Imperial 
city. Altogether they appear to have been a vigorous and intelligent 
people, who possessed determination to promote their own happiness. 
