OE RED INDIANS OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 157 



As there was not a single article giving evidence of any intercourse with Europeans, 

 as is found in later graves, we may conclude that this is prehistoric, possibly more than four 

 hundred years old. It is plain that the deceased must have been the son of a chief or be- 

 longed to a family otherwise distinguished, for difference of rank and wealth were found 

 even among this imfortunatepeople. 



Another skull with other remains was found in circumstances so interesting that we 

 shall give the account of the finder, the Rev. Mr. Blackmore, rural dean of Conception 

 Bay. " They were found in the year 1847 on one of the islands forming the Lower Burgeo 

 group, called ' Eencontre.' This island is uninhabited and considerably elevated ; diffi- 

 cult also of access in rough weather. It is in a great measure covered with broken frag- 

 ments of rocks which have fallen from the heights. About half way up the mountain (if 

 I may so term it), and in a hollow formed by a large piece of fallen rock, with every 

 opening carefully closed by small pieces of the broken rock, we found the bones of a 

 human being wrapped closely round with birch rinds. On removing these rinds a quan- 

 tity of gravel mixed with red ochre became visible, and on removing this we found oblong 

 pieces of carved bono, together with flat, circular stones, some glass beads, two iron 

 hatchet heads, so rusty that we could pick them to pieces, a bone spear head, the handle 

 of a knife with part of the blade still in it, also some flints designed for arrowheads. All 

 these articles were together, and had been placed apparently under or just before the head 

 of the individual buried — all carefully enclosed in the rinds. The skull was that of a 

 full grown male adult, with a very flat crown and large projection behind. The place 

 of interment was singularly wild ; high up in a clitf overlooking a little cove facing the 

 open sea, and only accessible on this side in very smooth water. It was discovered by a 

 boy while gathering brushwood. This boy seeing a piece of wood projecting from the 

 rock, pulled at it to add it to his store, and so loosened the smaller rocks and found the 

 cavity with its contents. The head of this stick, which was about four inches in 

 diameter, was ornamented. There were four fragments of sticks, and they must, I imagine, 

 have formed a canopy over the body." 



From the imf)lements here found it is evident that the burial took place after they 

 had intercourse with whites, but so early that they still dwelt on the coast hunting the 

 walrus and other inhabitants of the deep, still using their old implements, and there also 

 depositing their dead. The articles found are in the museum of McGill College, Mont- 

 real. The most interesting of these are the pendants of walrus ivory and the pierced 

 shells strung together. The first of these were neatly carved, and had holes at the top 

 for suspension. 



The pendants of carved bone or walrus ivory are characteristic of the Beothiks. 

 Cartwright observed them in his visit to the Red Indian Lake in 1768. He says : " Some 

 small figured bones neatly carved and having four prongs, the two middle ones being 

 parallel and almost close together, while the outer ones spread like a swallow's tail, have 

 fallen in my way, and from a thong fixed in their handle I have imagined them to be used 

 as amulets." And they are very generally found in graves. As the result of the examination 

 of but a few, nearly two hundred specimens are now in the public museum in St. John's. 

 They all have a small hole at the upper end for suspension. One class are forked, some 

 having two, others three prongs, and a few having two doubled. These are small, most 

 being from one and a-half to two inches, and few exceeding three inches in length. A 



