240 PREHISTORIC FISHING. 



of a fertile soil for producing maize, while the broad Ohio, surrounding him on 

 all sides, would furnish an abundance of food. On the Virginia side of the 

 river the banks are almost perpendicular, being elevated to a height of more than 

 five hundred feet, thus presenting a natural barrier against the inroads of foes 

 from that direction. On the opposite side the plain of Belpre ranges from fifteen 

 to seventy feet higher than the island, thus giving protection on the north, 

 although less than that on the south. An additional security consisted in the 

 distance between the shores of the island and those of the main-land, because it 

 is so great as to be practically beyond the range of any primitive weapon of offense. 



" The largest shell-heap is located on the eastern point of the lower half of 

 the island. Its present shape is that of a triangle, onforming to the natui'al 

 contour of the ground, and being eleven hundred and twenty-five feet long by 

 two hundred feet at its western and three feet at its eastern extremity. Originally 

 it was much larger, for within the last forty years a strip seventy feet in width, 

 and e.xtending the whole length of the deposit, has been carried away on the 

 north side by the constant erosion of the river. IIow much more than this has 

 been torn off cannot now be determined. At the present time the shell-heap is 

 under cultivation, excepting a very narrow road-way along its northern brink. 

 The plough has turned out the shells of the Unio and the bones of the deer 

 [Cervus mrginianus) , and the surface is almost covered with these remains. 

 Among the bones the lower jaw of the deer predominates. Bones of other mam- 

 mals occur ; also of birds, but not in abundance. These osseous remains are 

 generally in a very good state of preservation. Clii2:)s of chert are scattered 

 over the gronnd, and may be picked up almost everywhere. 



"Under the road-way (where the shells have not been disturbed by the plough) 

 the vegetable mould covering the deposit varies from six to thirty inches in 

 depth. The deposit averages six inches in thickness, and is composed of a com- 

 pact layer of ?7HW-shells, cemented, as it were, with a sediment of sand and 

 vegetable mould. On exposure the sharp edges of the shells rapidly crumble. 

 Some of them are slightly calcined, proving that they had been placed on coals, 

 either for being cooked, or for facilitating the extraction of the meat. Others 

 are broken, in consequence of a forcible separation of the valves, and many 

 again, which bear no such marks, probably were opened by placing them in hot 

 water. Intermingled with these shells are found the bones of various animals, 

 and there also occur among them vestiges of fire-places. The aboriginal relics 

 here found consist of arrow and spear-heads of chert and hornstone, stone axes, 

 pestles, tubes, pipes, circular stones, bone needles, bodkins, and beads, ornaments 

 of shell and cannel-coal, and fragments of pottery. There is an abundant yield 

 of such articles. 



" The shell-heap next in size is located on the upper half of the island, and 

 faces the Virginia shore. It covers an area of about half an acre. When first 



