Cushing.J 60 Ji [Nov. 6, 



it — was convex on one side, flat on the otlier. Wlien I found this 

 object I encountered the somewhat rounded shovel-shaped end first, 

 and thought that I had found a paddle. Following it up by feel- 

 ing with my fingers along the edges, I became assured that this was so, 

 when I struck the notched-in portions at the stem which connected 

 it with the lower or flatter and squarer portion. Then when the 

 shoulders of this in turn were touched, I supposed it to be a double sort 

 of paddle. I discovered my mistake only when the entire object was 

 revealed. These curious tablets, tenoned at the lower ends, notched in 

 midwaj^ and terminating in long shovel-shaped extensions beyond the 

 necks thus formed, were represented by no fewer than ten or twelve ex- 

 amples besides the one described. They were found quite generally 

 distributed throughout the court. But they varied in size from a foot in 

 length by. three inches in width, to nearly five feet in length, by more 

 than a foot in width. The most elaborate of them all was the one 

 already referred to, and shown in PL XXXIV, for it, like the first speci- 

 men found, had been decorated with paint (as at one time probably had 

 been all of the others). Upon the head or shovel-shaped portion were 

 two eye-like circles surrounding central dots. At the extreme end was 

 a rectangular line enclosing lesser marginal lines, as though to repre- 

 sent conventionally a mouth enclosing nostrils or teeth or other details. 

 The body or lower and flatter portion was painted from the shoulders 

 downward toward the tail-like tenon with a double-lined triangular 

 figure, and there were three broad transverse black bands leading out 

 from this toward either edge. On the obverse or flat under surface of 

 the tablet were painted equidistantly, in a line, four black circles enclos- 

 ing white centres, exactly corresi)onding to other figures of the sort 

 found on various objects in the collections, and from their connection, 

 regarded by me as word-signs, or sj'mbols of the four regions. 



That these curious tablets were symbolical — even if designed for 

 attachment to other more utilitarian things — was indicated by the 

 fact that various similar objects, too small for use otherwise than as 

 batons or amulets, were found. Several of these were of wood, but one 

 of them was of fine-grained stone (Fig. 3, PI. XXXIV), and all were ex- 

 quisitely finished. Those of wood were not more than eight inches in 

 length by three inches in width ; and they were most elaborately decor- 

 ated by incised circles or lenticular designs on the upper convex sides — 

 still more clearly representing eyes — and by zigzag lines around the 

 upper margins as clearly representing mouths, teeth, etc., and on the same 

 side of the lower portions or bodies, by either triangular or concentric 

 circular figures ; while on the obverse or flat side of one of them was 

 beautifully incised and painted the figure of a Wheeling Dolphin or Por- 

 poise, one of tlie most perfect drawings in the collection. Tlie little 

 object in stone (disproportionately illustrated in Fig. 3. PI. XXXIV) was 

 only two inches in length by a little more than an inch in width. It 

 was wrought from very fine dioritic stone, and as may be seen l)y tht> 



