908 PAPERS RELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. 



ANTIQUITIES FROM OMETEPE, NICARAGUA. 



By Charles C. Nutting. 



Although the name of this island has been spelled "Ometepec" by 

 previous explorers, I have decided to adopt the spelling of the inhab- 

 itants of the country, which is also that used in official papers. 



This latter fact I discovered through reading official reports of the 

 eruption of the volcano published in U E1 Ceutro Americano," a Nicara- 

 guan newspaper. This island is situated about 9 miles from the town of 

 San Jorge on the west shore of Lake Nicaragua. It is about 20 miles 

 long by 10 wide, and the greater part of its surface is covered by two 

 volcanoes, which are prominent features of the scenery from all parts of 

 the lake. 



The Volcano Madera is of greater bulk than its companion and much 

 more irregular in form. So far as I could learn it has never been known 

 to give signs of activity within historic times. 



The Volcano Ometepe, situated on the northern end of the island, is 

 said to be one of the most regular in form in the world, being a perfect 

 cone from all points of view. It is about 5,000 feet high. 



This has also been considered an extinct volcano, but, during my visit, 

 it began showing signs of activity. On March G, 1883, a thin column 

 of smoke was seen to issue from the exact summit, and about six weeks 

 afterward there was a slight flow of lava on the southeastern side. 



Ometepe has the reputation of having been an object of worship by 

 the peoples of past ages, and the large number of stone images found on 

 the island would seem to indicate that it was sacred ground. It was 

 evidently a chosen spot for burial, as the immense number of graves 

 and burial urns still testify. 



The present inhabitants of the island are mostly Indians of a rather 

 purer type than is found on the adjacent mainland, although many of 

 them show a mixture of Spanish blood and a few are partly negro. 



For a description of the appearance of the pure-blooded native, I can 

 not improve upon that given by Dr. J. F. Bransford, in his " Archa3o- 

 logical Researches in Nicaragua," page 6 : 



" In physique the Indians are usually rather short, low-browed, with 

 dark copper skin and coarse hair. On and near Madera are a few of 

 commanding stature, many of the men being over feet high and the 

 women proportionately large. The head is short, the features strongly 

 marked, with heavy lower jaw and large teeth." 



I was unable to discover any remnant of reverence among the natives 

 for the old idols found on the island, nor did they offer the slightest 

 objection to the removal of one of them, although they were convinced 

 that said removal was simply a freak of insanity on my part. 



One prominent characteristic of these Indians is the deference and 



