174 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE 



our lunch on the chest of the completed image, which still lay 

 there undetached from its rocky bed beneath. This statue was 

 an excellent proof that the work was suddenly interrupted. All 

 about us we could see through the rain images in every stage of 

 completion — some of them halted on their way to the burial 

 platforms along the coast. 



What catastrophe caused this cessation of labor? There is no 

 evidence of volcanic activity in historical times. It is not prob- 



Group of Statues, Easter Island 



There are over 500 of these gigantic statues on Easter Island, some measuring 70 feet 

 in length and all are cut from single blocks of lava — there is evidence that the work of 

 the sculptors was suddenly interrupted for the images are found in every stage of com- 

 pletion as shown in this view reproduced by courtesy of the Library of Congress. 



able that the island was attacked by hostile neighbors — the nearest 

 inhabitable land being over a thousand miles to the westward. 

 Were the people wiped out by an epidemic of disease? Or did 

 they devour each other during a famine? This is another of the 

 Island's many mysteries. 



But heated arguments on this subject did not warm us up enough. 

 It was cold and we had to move along to keep from shivering in 

 our wet clothes. So we proceeded to climb up the hill to see the 



