IN NOVA SCOTIA. PREST. 39 



the prosecution of such work in Nova Scotia. The exploration 

 of Kents Cavern in England of the Cave of Spy, the Caverne 

 de PHomme, Mort, in France; the Cave of Neanderthal in 

 Belgium ; and the gravels of the Somme, was among the chief 

 incentives to the study of the antiquity of man a generation 

 ago, the result of which was the placing of the study of anthro- 

 pology on an entirely new footing. In the caves, kitchen- 

 middens, and ancient burial places of Nova Scotia, many like 

 secrets are waiting to be unveiled. Among the kitchen-middens 

 of Nova Scotia worthy of exploration are those of Chester 

 Basin and Musquodoboit Harbor, in which many Indian relics 

 have been found. There are many ancient burial places, 

 especially at Indian Gardens and Fairy Lake. Caves are 

 known at Five-Mile River, Gay's River, and in Cape Breton, 

 and probably other places. We have seen the advantage to 

 anthropological science derived from the exploration of the 

 kjokken-moddings or shell mounds of Denmark, and while those 

 of Nova Scotia may not yield such valuable results they will 

 amply repay investigation. The desultory digging now being 

 carried on in these kitchen-middens, prompted by the curiosity 

 of idle men and boys, is lessening the chances for systematic 

 and scientific excavation as the years go by. Cave excavation 

 though more difficult is usually more productive of results, as 

 the contents are not so much subject to disturbance and injury 

 by the elements. When this work is carefully carried on by 

 experienced and conscientious explorers, by the removal, layer 

 by layer, of the successive deposits, and the information and 

 relics so obtained are tabulated, we should have before us a 

 history of that particular cave or deposit, a book of nature in 

 fact, more unimpeachable than any human literary production. 

 I feel strongly the lack of the latest facts on this subject, 

 but I trust that these remarks will be taken as an evidence of 

 my earnest wishes for the future. I shall be well satisfied if 

 my suggestions encourage others to open up a new field of 

 scientific research in Nova Scotia. 



