1396.] 0±L [Gushing. 



black soil intermixed with the shells, and here I observed that although 

 relics of other sorts were comparatively rare, fish-bones formed a con- 

 siderable proportion of this soil, as though fish or the refuse of fi.sh had 

 been used here for fertilizing purposes. All these observations, taken in 

 connection with the liighh' finished condition of the crowning platform, 

 of the beautifully paved approaches to it, of the walls or sides of the 

 long-graded path, and of the terminal sea-walls themselves, clearly 

 demonstrated the artificial origin of not only such portions of the key as 

 stood above low-tide level, but also, the highly structural character of the 

 whole work — as I now considered it to be, — of the island in its entirety. 



Visible from Demorey's key, a mile and a half or two miles away in a 

 northeasterly direction, stood a promontory, island-like in appearance, 

 on account of its relative boldness. Learning from mj' sailor that it was 

 reallj^ on Pine Island, and that there also were extensive shell accumu- 

 lations, and that in the depths of the pine lands beyond were other and 

 larger mounds of quite ditferent character, I paid a hasty visit to the 

 place. 



It was known as Battey's Landing, although the "landing " had to be 

 approached by wading a long way, for the tide was low. And as we 

 neared it we were greeted by the barking of a small colony of hounds and 

 other dogs. A. solitary man appeared, who occupied one of two small 

 huts that stood some way up from the shore. His name was Kirk, and he 

 was most hospitable and helpful to me. He and his partner. Captain 

 Rhodes, Avorked the place as a vegetable farm, and were now again most 

 profitably cultivating its ancient gardens. However, I soon saw that it 

 had once been like the outer islets — an artificial key — but so much closer 

 in-shore, even originally, that it had become connected with the main 

 part of Pine Island bj' extensive sand flats, still so low as to be washed 

 by high tides. The foundations, mounds, courts, graded ways and canals 

 here were greater, and some of them even more regular, than any I had 

 yet seen. On the hither or seaward side many enclosures, overgrown 

 of course by mangroves, flanked wide benches or garden platforms, 

 through or over which led paths, mostly obliterated by cultivation 

 now. The same sorts of channel-ways as occurred on the outer keys 

 led up to the same sorts of terraces and great foundations, with their cor- 

 onets of gigantic mounds. The inner or central courts were enormous. 

 Nearly level with the swamps on the one hand, and with the sand flats 

 on the other, these muck-beds were sufficiently extensive to serve (hav- 

 ing been cleared and drained as far as possible) as rich and ample gar- 

 dens ; and they were framed in, so to say, by quadrangles formed bj' 

 great shell structures which, foundation terraces, summit-mounds and 

 all, towered above them to a height of more than sixty feet. 



There were no fewer than nine of these greater foundations, and 

 within or among them no fewer than five large, more or less rectangular 

 courts ; and, beyond all, to the southward, was a long series of lesser 

 benches, courts and enclosures, merging oft" into scarce visible frag- 



