122 Shells as evidence of the Migrations. 



made of an interesting reference to the use of pearl-shell 

 among the Indians of southern Alaska. 



In his description of Port des Francais, the celebrated 

 navigator, M. de la I*erouse, remarks on the ability of the 

 Indians of this neighbourhood to inla\' boxes of elegant 

 form with mother-of-pearl. Unfortunately, he does not 

 state whether the true pearl-shell was emplo)^ed, or that 

 of the abalone {Haliotis). This, however, is not of ver}- 

 great importance, as the point of chief interest is the fact 

 that the use of the pearl-shell for inla)- purposes is 

 strongly suggestive of Asiatic influence. Other details, 

 given by Perouse, concerning the many curious customs 

 of these same people, such as ' platform burials," the 

 ' special preservation of the head of the deceased and 

 cremation of the body,' etc., provide equal K' suggestive 

 evidence of this."' 



The Haliotis, which also xields good pearls, was 

 applied to many varied uses by other savage peoples on 

 the Pacific coast of America, especiall}- in California, 

 where these pearly shells have been found in great 

 numbers in the burial places of the ancient tribes. Putnam 

 records the discovery of several objec'ts inlaid with Haliotis 

 shell in graves on the islands of Santa Catalina and of 

 Santa Cruz, the pieces of .shell being held in place by a 

 thin cement of asphaltum.''*' 



The remarkable resemblance between the shell-art 

 of ancient California and that of the Pacific Islands is 

 very significant. 



'^" G. A. Cooke. ('/. ci/., ii., p. 106; see .tI^m Ml.lacU, ''The Coa^l 

 Indians of Soulliern Alaska au(i Northern Biilish Columbia." AV//. U.S. 

 Naf. Mus., 1S87-S (1S90). lip. 225-3SO 



'^" V. W, I'utnam. '-I'.S. C.eot;raphical .Survey west (.-f the lOOih 

 Meridian : vol vii., Arcluooloyx ."' \Vashini;loii, 1S79, pp. 232-3. 



