CHARM STONES, OR PLUMMETS. 297 



Thomas Ewbauk, in bis Life in Brazil, published in 185G, figures two 

 implements which might be classed with thoseunder consideration. I 

 have copied from his illustration on page 451 of his appendix (see Fig. 

 A). He says : " It resembles an egg in shape, is of black, hard, smoothly 

 polished stone, used for working metal." 



On page 464 of the same appendix is figured an implement exactly 

 like some of our so called plummets (see Fig. B), of which he says: 

 '• Which, from the notch cut round its pointed end, may liave been used 

 as a plumb-line or as a spindle." In the Third Annual Keport of the 

 Bureau of Ethnology, by J. W. Powell, director, published in 1884, on 

 pages 509 and 510, are descriptions of implements in a collection from 

 Peru, "neatly made sinkers wrapped in corn husks and sinkers of gray 

 slate, shaped somewhat like a cigar, with one or more grooves partially 

 encircling the end. These were wrapi)ed in corn husks." 



The figure given on page 510 represents the ordinary so-called plum- 

 mets, except that there are two grooves on the smaller end and one on 

 the larger. These grooves only partially encircle the implement and 

 are all on the same side. 



Abbott, in his Primitive Industry, very properly separates the plum- 

 mets and sinkers, devoting one chapter to each. 



In the chapter on plummets he gives illustrations of several imple- 

 ments ibund in Illinois, Ohio, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Maine. 

 These are nearly identical in general form and outline with those found 

 on the Pacific coast. He says: " "While the general name given to the 

 group is convenient, and in a measure descriptive of their appearance, 

 it has but little reference to their uses. It has been remarked that their 

 principal use as plummets may be questioned, as there are far too many 

 of them found and of too great variation in size to lead us to infer that 

 they were used mainly for that puri)ose." 



He remarks of Fig. 21G, which he states " is a characteristic specimen 

 of the New England plummet of about the maximum size: Whether 

 it should be classed as a pestle or not can not be readily determined, 

 but from the fact that unquestionable pestles are by no means infre- 

 quent in the same localities, and also for the reason that the larger 

 plummet-shaped implements are of too soft a material and seldom 

 exhibit signs of use at their rounded end." 



In his chapter on sinkers, he seems to be very uncertain as to whether 

 the Indians were acquainted with the methods of catching- fish with nets, 

 and the probabilities are that the Europeans first taught the use of nets 

 to the aborigines. If such is the case, then the " plummets" were cer- 

 tainly not net sinkers. 



As for the great size of the larger ones being no objection to their 

 use as sinkers, it may be doubted if they (the Indians) knew how or 

 cared to fish with nets. 



They had their certain seasons for fishing, when they knew whereto 

 find them and how to catch them. At other times they would be in 

 other localities, hunting other food materials in their season. 



