52 RELICS OF THE STONE AGE IN NOVA SCOTIA—PIERS. 
should we make stones like that when the beach supplies sinkers 
in abundance? Our sinkers were beach stones, and when we 
Jost one we picked up another.” 
A very old Indian chief, of the Napa tribe of California, told 
Dr. Yates that the plummet-shaped objects were charm-stones, 
which were suspended over the water where the Indians 
intended to fish. A stick fixed in the hank, he said, bore a cord 
which sustained the bewitched stone. Ina similar manner they 
were employed in order to obtain good luck while hunting. 
Napa Indians also state that they were sometimes laid upon 
rocks or peaks, from whence it was supposed they travelled 
through the water during the night and drove the fish to favourite 
spots for catching them, or in other cases, drove the game of the 
woods to the most advantageous hunting grounds. 
Other Indians of California say they were medicinal stones, 
and describe the method in which they were used by sorcerers 
for curing the sick, bringing rain, extinguishing fires, calling fish 
up the streams, and for performing ceremonies preparatory to 
war. <A perforated stone was said to make its wearer impervious 
to arrows. 
The above statements may help us to form our own opinion 
as to the use of these very curious stones in Nova Scotia. Many 
still hold to the belief that they were sinkers, but most of the 
evidence seems to be against that theory. 
Pipes.--Smoking utensils are somewhat rare in Nova Scotian 
archzeological collections. Only three complete examples, and 
one in course of construction, are among Dr. Patterson’s specimens 
in the museum of Dalhousie College. Four are in the cases of 
the Provincial Museum, Halifax, and will be found described in 
a previous paper by the writer. One of these is probably of 
European manufacture. Dr. Bailey mentions but a single 
specimen in his article on the stone-age in New Brunswick. 
The Fairbanks collection, as now before me, contains no example. 
Hon. W. J. Almon, M. D., of Halifax, possesses a large, well- 
formed pipe (Fig. 96), which is without doubt the most 
