496 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889. 



December 28. — Shortly after daylight the entire force started making 

 excavations under the foundations of the image-builders houses, the 

 ruins of which extend towards Eana Eoraka from Tongariki Bay, on 

 regular terraces. These peculiar ruins are to be found here in great 

 numbers both inside and outside of the crater, but do not differ from 

 those already described. A custom obtained among the islanders, sim- 

 ilar to that practiced by the tribes of Alaska and other Indians of 

 America, of burying something of interest or value beneath the door- 

 posts of their dwellings. Usually it was a smooth beach pebble which 

 was supposed to have some fetish qualities to bring good luck or ward 

 off evil influences. 



One of the largest of these ruins has an extensively paved terrace in 

 front. At a depth of about three feet below the surface ot the central 

 door-way, w r e found a rough angular flinty stone with a rudely carved 

 face upon it. A prominent ruin of the same description inside of the 

 crater, and another near the workshop on the outside, yielded a hard 

 stone upon which marks had been carved very similar to those on the 

 rocks at Orongo. 



SKULLS SHOWING PECULIAR MARKS 



One of our guides produced from a hiding place three ancient skulls, 

 described elsewhere, upon the top of which these same mystical figures 

 had been cut. They were not shown until a reward had been promised, 

 and the guide claimed to have obtained them in their present condi- 

 tion from the King's platform. 



On the outside of the crater of Eana Eoraka, near the top and looking 

 towards the southwest, we found a workshop containing fifteen small 

 images. These had been overlooked in our former trips to this place. 



Scattered over the plains extending towards Vaihu are a large num- 

 ber of images, all lying face downward. The indications are that 

 they were being removed to their respective platforms when the work 

 was suddenly arrested. These heavy weights were evidently moved 

 by main strength, but why they were dragged over the ground face 

 downward instead of upon their backs, thus protecting their features, 

 is a mystery yet unsolved. One statue in a group of three is that of 

 a female; the face and breast is covered with lichen, which at a short 

 distance gives it the appearance of being whitewashed. 



December 29. — We continued the work of exploration from Vaihu 

 around the southwxst points of the island. Excavations were made 

 wherever the indications were good, but the results did not differ from 

 those already described. Mount Orito was visited, from whence the 

 obsidian was obtained for spear-heads, and also the quarries that pro- 

 duce the red pigment from which the natives make a red paint by rub- 

 bing it down with the juice of the sugar-cane. The remainder of the 

 slay on Easter Island was devoted to the collection of traditions, trans- 

 lations of tablets, and. similar matters of interest,. 



