106 



The forenoon was devoted to the usual rambles in 

 search of objects of interest, as the inclination of each 

 dictated, and many fine specimens were found. At one 

 o'clock lunch was partaken in the woods near the house. 



At 2.30 P. M. the afternoon session was held in the 

 Hall of the Chebacco House. The PKESIDENT in the chair. 



The records of preceding meeting were read. 



Vice President F. W. PUTNAM gave an interesting ac- 

 count of his late visit to Newburyport for the purpose of 

 examining some curious groups of stones recently found 

 by W. C. Johnson, Esq., of that city, while prospecting 

 on his land, about four miles from the city, near Parker 

 River. These stones were in a few instances of such sin- 

 gular arrangement as to lead to the supposition that they 

 possibly indicated something of archaeological importance. 



Mr. Putnam mentioned that besides a row of piles of 

 stones, each, about eight feet in diameter, there was found 

 a few hundred feet distant a singular arrangement of small 

 stones, in the form of the letter E, the length of the let- 

 ter being six feet, and the width about two feet. Near 

 this was a small circle of stones about four feet in diame- 

 ter, with a number of stones inside the circle. Near this 

 was a slight earth mound. In the immediate vicinity 

 were a number of small heaps of shells. These were the 

 surface indications ; and while there was undoubted evi- 

 dence of the stones having been placed in these positions 

 a long while ago, so that the soil and sod had nearly cov- 

 ered^them, still there was nothing that indicated a great 

 antiquity. 



Excavations were begun in the expectation of finding 

 that the stones had been placed as marks of sepulture, 

 but nothing except a small piece of Indian pottery was 



