HOLMES.] MEALING STONES. 25 



A remarkable figure of large size now in the National Museum 

 was obtained from the Island of Cana or Cano by Mr. McNiel. It is 



Fig. H. Fragmentary human figm-e in gray basaltii 



nearly three feet in height and very heavy. The face has been mu- 

 tilated. In general style it corresponds more closely to the sculpture 

 of the Central American States than to that of Chiriqui. 



Mealing stones. — Themetate, or hand mill, whirli consists of aeon- 

 cave tablet and a rubbing stone, was an imiM.itant ,i(IJuiict to the 

 household ai^pliances of nearly all the more culturcil American na- 

 tions. It is found not only in those plain substantial forms most 

 suitable for use in grinding grain, seeds, and spices by manual means, 

 but in many cases it has been elaborated into a work of art which 

 required long and skilled labor for its production. 



In the province of Chiriqui these mills must have been numerous; 

 but. since they are still in demand by the inhabitants of the region, 

 many of the ancient specimens have been destroyed by use. It seems 

 from all accounts that they were not very generally buried with the 

 dead, but were left upon or near the siirface of the ground, and were 

 hence accessible to the modern tribes, who found it much easier to 

 transport them to their homes than to make new ones. 



The metates of Chiriqui present a great diversity of form and pos- 

 sibly represent distinct peoples or different grades of culture. They 

 are carved from volcanic rocks of a few closely related varieties, the 

 texture of which is coarse and occasionally somewhat cellular, giving 

 an uneven or jiitted surface, well suited to the grinding of maize. 

 Thi-ee classes, fur convenience of description, may be distinguished, 

 although certain characters are common to all and one form grades 



