PAPERS RELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. 795 



yards in widtli ; below tlie shells there is probably an equal depth of 

 sand and clay; on its northeastern end there is a conical luound about 

 10 feet in height, which commands an extensive view. 



Southeast of Mondongo is Patricio Key, which has a layer of shells 

 over its surface for half a mile or more, but it is apparently a clay bank 

 fifteen or more feet in height, precipitous on one side and sloping rapidly 

 down to water-level on the other. 



Less than a mile south is Useppa Key, whose northern extremity is a 

 mud-bank 6 feet in height topped by shells to an equal amount ; this 

 widens out into a plateau about 100 yards wide, sloping to the west- 

 ward. The. island i*< over half a mile in length, and about half way 

 down from the northern end the i)lateau forks, the eastern arui form- 

 ing a ridge about 18 feet high facing the channel, the western forming 

 a narrow flat ridge not over 10 feet high. Between and protected by 

 these there is about an acre which is not over 6 feet above mean Mater, 

 and at the southern extremity of this there is a space about 20 feet 

 square, which is not over 2 feet above water-level, and was probably used 

 by the Indians, as it is now by the Spanish fisherman, a« a location 

 for a well. It is protected east and west by a continuation of the ridge 

 and plateau and on the south by a conical mound 15 feet or so in height. 

 Abreast of this mound a boat channel, which runs down from Pease 

 Creek channel between Pine and Patricio Keys to join the main one, 

 comes close inshore, and probably has always been the landing place, 

 for the ridge, plateau, and mound form a gentle slope to the water's 

 edge ; south of this there is another large irregular mound and a high 

 l^lateau, quite flat, and about 2 acres in extent. 



South of Useppa, about 3 miles, is Garden Key, which has a plateau 

 in front rising gradually to an irregular oblong embankment on the north 

 side, and to one of equal height, but greater length, on the south. The 

 latter runs east for about .^0 yards, then south about the same distance, 

 and west for a little greater distance. Between the north and south 

 ridges there is a spring hole, or garden, half an acre in extent. Farther 

 back, and protected by the ridges in front and on the sides, is a plateau 

 of shells about an acre in extent and about 8 feet above mean water. 

 South of Garden Key there is a key about 5 acres in extent, which has 

 been raised throughout to a height of 8 or 10 feet. 



Due east of Useppa, a little more than a mile, there is a group of 

 mounds and ridges very similar to those on Garden Key, but much 

 greater in extent — a plateau in front, then mounds or ridges flanking a 

 spring-hole. One ridge runs parallel to tlie present beach but is crossed 

 by another at right angles, the two protecting a plateau several acres in 

 extent. These heaps are on Pine Key, and, from them, straight across 

 the island to Mattacha Channel, there runs a canal or ditch which passes 

 two ])ouds and another mound in the center of the island. This canal 

 may have been a feeder to the ponds, as described by De Soto, but it 

 also shortened the distance to JMattacha Channel fully 10 miles for 

 canoes. 



