have the value of clearing up, in a measure, the superficially 

 conflicting yet authoritative observations made since 1873. 



Schumacher. Stephen Bowers, H. C. Yarrow, A. L. Kroe- 

 ber and others have reported the finding of skeletons buried in 

 a crouching position ; they make no mention, however, of the 

 symbolical fires, their observations evidently referring to earlier, 

 more primitive types tlian the ones just founrl. 



That this more cultured form of burial was not reported 

 before is probably due to the fact that former expeditions to San 

 Nicolas have limited their activities to the sandy grave sites near 

 the easily accessible eastern shore of the island. During the pro- 

 tracted stay of the Gclisch party, the high northern plateau, fur- 

 thest distant from the landing harbor, and necessitating tedious 

 journeys under difticult conditions, was thoroughly explored. 

 The result was the discovery of this higher type of independent 

 aboriginal culture than any hitherto known to have existed on the 

 Santa Catalina group, before the advent of the white man. 



15 



