A NIGERIAN AEROLITE—A CORRECTION.
[To TEE EDITOR OE THE " SPECTATOR:1 Sia,—Some months ago a letter of mine appeared in the Spectator describing ao aerolite which had fallen while I was in Kaiama, in 'the Borgu Province of Northern Nigeria. No shade of doubt existed in my mind at the time. There was the violent thunderstorm, the most vivid lightning, and last, but not least, the smouldering remains of the hut that had been struck, and the torn-up passage around the inside of its circular wall along which the body had travelled before finally burying itself. The Chief of Kaiama, a venerable old man who once saved Sir Frederick Lugard's life by informing him of an ambush which had been laid for him, and who has always been regarded as a most respectable and upright person, remained at the spot while his people dug up
the floor. I admit I did not remain. About an hour later old Kaiama with his diggers arrived at my bungalow, bringing with him what had been found. Fresh blood was still on the stone, as a religions ceremony had been performed by killing a fowl over it as soon as it had been discovered. Every one apparently believed absolutely that it had fallen during the storm, and was responsible for the damage ; the fowl had been sacrificed as an offering against further calamity. After all this, Sir. I hope it will be admitted that I was justified in writing my original letter. I now have to apologise for having misled you. My so-called meteorite has been examined by the Meteorological Society and found to be "an axehead of the Stone Age, and certainly of terrestrial origin." I do not believe Kaiania wilfully deceived me, and can only assume that by an extraordinary coincidence this axehead was turned up while digging under the floor of the but. But did West Africa eVer have a Stone Age, or did the Borgus, whose origin has never been really decided, bring a few stone imple- ments with them when (by their own story), under the leader- ship of one Kisra, they trekked across Africa many hundred Major late RA.
Junior United Service Club, Charles Street.
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