2 BULLETIN 14 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



its northern shore from the Atlantic Ocean. The combined objec- 

 tives of the expedition were to recover skeletal and cultural remains 

 from shell heaps, kitchen middens, and aboriginal habitation sites, 

 as well as to make general collections of the plants and vertebrates 

 of the region.- 



Working from the town of Santa Barbara de Samana as a base, 

 the expedition crossed to the caves on the south shore of Samana Bay, 

 where a month was spent in the caves of the Playa Honda coast. 

 Living quarters were established in one of the larger caves locally 

 known as "Boca del Infierno " (the mouth of hell). Except for the 

 annoyance caused by the small sand flies, living in the caves was 

 pleasant enough, as the cave floor was dry and the entire cavern well 

 ventilated. Three main openings, two of which faced the sea, and 

 several large openings in the roof caused by the fall of rock masses 

 loosened by water seepage, were not sufficiently large to allow day- 

 light to penetrate the entire cave. Recourse was had to artificial 

 lighting, in which a combination of electric lanterns, flash lights, 

 paraffin candles, kerosene lanterns, and candlewood torches played a 

 part. 



The cave selected as the expedition's headquarters had several 

 compartments, one of which served as packing room and laboratory, 

 others as dormitories. The laboratory also was used as kitchen and 

 dining room. At mealtime the bottled lizards and the plant presses 

 were removed from the packing-box table and were replaced by kid- 

 ney beans, rice, fish, and Dominican coffee roasted to a crisp admixed 

 with sugar, ground into a powder, and boiled indefinitely. The 

 merits of Dominican coffee thus prepared may well be remembered 

 if not appreciated. 



Abraham Lewis, a St. Kitts negro long established near the town 

 of Santa Barbara de Samana, with his two helpers, one a native 

 Dominican, the other a deep-water English sailor from Jamaica, 

 operated the small sailboat chartered for the expedition. The desire 

 to work for the Americans was so great that Abraham, in order to 

 accommodate his friends, was compelled to change the crew each 



' Acknowledgment is here made of the courteous treatment extended by officials of the 

 Dominican Government to members of the expedition from the National Museum. The 

 Secretaries Alfonseca and Ginebra, of the President's Cabinet, kindly outlined a plan of 

 operation whereby the Dominican and the United States National Museums alike benefited 

 from the collections made during the season's work. The live interest in historical prob- 

 lems shared by the high officials of the Dominican Government was a constant source of 

 inspiration to the members of the expedition. As early as 1912 the superintendent of 

 the Dominican National Museum, Seiior Dr. N. Alberti y Bosch, published a treatise on 

 the geology of Santo Domingo under the title "Apuntas para la Prehistoria de Quisqueya," 

 La Vega, 1912. Valuable information was supplied by Doctor Alberti regarding location 

 of desirable sites for future working ; also regarding local conditions. Doctor Alberti's 

 live interest in the problems involved will make future cooperation between the United 

 States National Museum and the Dominican National Museum in the historico-archeological 

 projects to be undertaken on the island desirable and doubtlessly mutually highly profitable. 



