DATE OF BUSHMAN PAINTINGS 185 
or rather faces, of sandstone rocks, jutting prominently from 
the frowning heights of the Drakensberg and neighbouring 
mountains, forming the shallow caves once inhabited by Bush¬ 
men, may be found paintings of a brownish red colour depicting 
scenes from their daily life. Naturally, the execution is of a 
primitive order, but still sufficiently well done to clearly show 
the intention of the artist, such as the hunt after game, or the 
attraction exercised by some female, of more beautiful proportion 
than her fellows, over the males, etc. Not the least interesting 
feature of these paintings is that they have existed, exposed to 
the inclemencies of the South African climate and weather, 
through a range, in proved instances, of at least fifty years and 
even more, and yet are only slightly injured, more by the 
weathering of the rock than by the fading of the pigment used 
BUSHMAN PAINTINGS 
in the colouring. Fourteen years ago some of these paintings 
were shown to me on the face of a rock on the east side 
