Cusliiiig.] ^50 [Nov. 6, 



namely, that although far more extensive and quite loftj-, this, no less 

 than they, had been built from the very sea level upward. Two or 

 three straight, deep and regular canals led in from this side also, one in par- 

 ticular, directly through the loftier terraces here, to the central eleva- 

 tion of the place. This reached a height of only eighteen or nineteen 

 feet, yet it was still remarkably regular, nearly parallelogrammic, flat- 

 topped, and upon its level summit stood— in place, probably, of the 

 ancient temple that once surmounted it (for there occurred here, as on 

 the pyramid-platform of Demorey's key, an altar-like mound near the 

 northern end) — the house now occupied by Captain Cuthbert, part owner, 

 Avith Captain Collier, of Key Marco. A graded way descended slant- 

 ingly across the lower end of this eminence, into what had first been a 

 central court, like the one on Josselyn's key. This, however, had in 

 course of time been filled purposely, and the canal that had led straight 

 into it from the south had been filled in too, so as to form a prolongation 

 of the graded way down to the edge of the great court or muck-filled 

 bayou that was embraced within the two lateral and southern extensions 

 of the key. In the southeastern portion of these broad flat canal- 

 seamed extensions, might be seen still two or three remarkably regular 

 and deep circular tanks or (jenotes, as I have called them, whence straight 

 sunken ways led up to the easternmost of the series of broad foundations 

 and mounds that, with other filled-in garden courts between, flanked the 

 central eminence or temple-pj'ramid on either side. Just inside of the 

 sea wall that protected the southwestern edge of the key occurred the 

 little triangular muck-court which had been dug into first by Captain 

 Collier, Mr. Wilkins, and Colonel Durnford. 



I was most courteously received by Captain Collier ; both he and his 

 neighbor. Captain Cuthbert, gave me entire freedom to explore where- 

 soever I would, and in whatsoever manner. As may be seen by the 

 accompanying plan of the "Court of the Pile Dwellers," (thus I later 

 named this place) I caused an excavation to be made to one side of and 

 just beyond those that had been made by the gentlemen mentioned 

 (see plan, Plate XXXI, Sections 84, 44). A single day's work in this 

 boggy, mangrove-covered, water-soaked, muck and peat bed, revealed 

 not only other such relics as I had found in the keys above, but a con- 

 siderable number of well-preserved objects of wood, including more 

 of the kind I had seen in Colonel Durnford's possession, and, what 

 was especially significant, the remains of short piles, of slight timbers, 

 of a long, beautifully finished spruce-wood spar, of charcoal, and 

 fragments of indurated material that had once formed the heat- 

 hardened plaster of hearths. There were also small masses of much 

 decayed thatch, apparently for house-roofing or siding, I judged, and 

 not a few unfinished objects, to say nothing of abundant refuse of 

 meals. All which indicated that my inference in regard to the na- 

 ture of this place as an actual site of former residence was as tenable 

 as had been the more general conclusion that it was not a solitary 



