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MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS RELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. 675^ 



found on the shore with what looks like letters engraved on it, but 

 they have never been deciphered. The stone is in the possession of 

 John K. Rverson, of Yarmouth. Dr. Gilpin, of Halifax, has discovered 

 a rock in Annapolis County with some engraving on it. In the history 

 of the county* of Pictou, published by me, on pages 29-31, will be found 

 an account of the only genuine prehistoric cemetery with which I have 

 met. I could see no plan of arrangement in the graves. They would 

 be found at distances of from three to five feet apart, and over a spaceof 

 about fifty feet square, lying to the west of a pit. I was not able to find 

 any to the eastward, that is, farther away from the shore. The graves 

 formed a layer of browu, velvety mold, two or three inches deep, and 

 containing fragments of bones. The ground is gently sloping and fac- 

 ing southwestwardly. In only one instance could I detect the posture 

 of the body. This one was lying on its side, and doubled up. In other 

 instances there were plainly a number together, and the bones were so 

 decayed and seemingly so mixed, that I could not trace any order. I 

 did not j)articularlj^ observe, but I think the body lay north and south 

 with the face to the west. The graves were shallow, not more than 

 from niue to twelve inches deep. 



There was no evidence of desiccation. But there is in the possession 

 of Dr. Wm. Doherty, of Kingston, Kent County, N. B., a perfect 

 mummy of an Indian head. The face retains its features, and the hair 

 adheres as completely as in life. It was found on a part of a bank of 

 the river Richibenclo. Along with it was found a copper kettle, showing 

 that the burial took place after the arrival of Europeans, and while they 

 still retained the practice of burying the valuables of the deceased with 

 him. The skin has a bluish discoloration, probably from the copper. 

 I am informed that up the St. John's River a large copper kettle was 

 found with the remains of a body, which had been squeezed into it. 



There are no quarries. There is an island known in the Micmac lan- 

 guage as Pipestone Island, to which they may have resorted for mate- 

 rials for theii* pipes, but I have not been able to find the place. ■' 



The only workshops that I have heard of in these maritime provinces 

 is what is known as Bockman's Beach, Lunenburg County, X. S. It is 

 a beach of sand and gravel, running east and west, perhaps 300 yards 

 in length and connecting an island, known as Bockman's Island, with 

 the main-land. On the north side the sea has heaped up the sand and 

 gravel, but in the rear of this it is lower, and here, about midway be- 

 tween the shores, have been found large quantities of fiakes and splin- 

 ters of stone and arrow-heads in various states of preparation. Many 

 of these have been carried away by collectors, but the sea washes over 

 the spot, and after overj' storm more are exposed. 



A small circular heap, about 6 feet in diameter, and from 15 to 18 

 inches high at the time of my visit, has been supposed by some to have 

 been the seat of the ancient arrow-maker. But on close examination 

 of the spot and from information received from those living in the 



