retaining traces at its base of the asphaltum with which it had 

 been attached to a shaft. The latter, however, was not present. 

 This extraordinary feature did not exist in the case of the two 

 males, nor in any other burial observed, and opens an interest- 

 ing field to conjecture. 



In eleven other graves investigated the arrangement of the 

 skeletons was different. Instead of the four fires, four bodies 

 had been interred at the cardinal points about one in the center. 

 This phase of the islanders" burial was first brought to the atten- 

 tion of the writer in 1''09, and again in 1913, when a grave was 

 imearthei on San Nicolas Island, containing seven bodies laid 

 in a circle about a central one. 



Owing to the mutilation of some of the skulls found in 

 such graves, the theory has been advanced that this peculiur 

 form of mortuary custom was adopted especially for the dis- 

 posal of the remains of those fallen in battle, and roresented 

 some distinct ritualistic war practice. A.lthough the injuries to 

 the crania are to all appearances accidental, further ard more 

 conclusive observations may at seme time determine tliis point 

 more clearly. 



The practice of kindling the four fires — without the use of 

 a grave post — was jM'oba])ly im]iorted to the islands, as it is 

 common among many Indian tribes. An Algonquin legend 

 tells of the necessity of buildirg fires alxnit the dead to illumine 

 their way to the land beyond. A returned good soul havi'ig fin- 

 ally instructed the living that four fires onlv were necessary, 

 since the journev consumed but that many davs. The mvstic 

 number of four fires is also associated with certain Mexican 

 mortuary customs. Fmil Bessels, of the Polaris Expedition, 

 uoted a siiuilar practice amorg the Esquimaux. 



It is more ])rol)able that the use r)f svmbolic fires in the 

 l)urial of the latter day San Nicolas Islanders came to them 

 from the Yurok Indians of northern California. Stejihen Bow- 

 ers recorded that the Yuroks built fires about the gr ives, for they 

 believed that death was a passage over an attenuated greasy pole 

 "which bridges over the chasm of the debatable land, and that 

 the souls of the dei^arted reciuire fires to light their way on 

 their darksome journey. A righteous sotd traverses the pole 

 quicker than a wicked one. hence they regulate the number of 

 nights for burning a light according to the character for good- 

 ness or the opposite which the fleceased possessed in tlus world." 



The San Nicolas burial custom, according to all observations, 

 seems to be more closelv related to that of the A^urok than to 

 those of its closer neighbors of the mainland, the Luisenos and 

 Dieguenos. who used only one fire in their mrirtuary clothes and 

 image burning ceremonies. 



In the cases of these mainland tribes the use of fire seemed 

 to be only a means of accomplishing the essential ritualistic cre- 



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