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 

 lost 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 bank, he said, bore a cord 

 which sustained the bewitched stone. In a 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 

 archaeological 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 





