FOWKE] ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS 19 



enters it whenever there is a freshet in either the creek or the river; 

 so it could never have served as a place of permanent abode. 



TEXAS COUNTY 



SMITH CA^'ES ( 2 ) 



On James I. Smith's land, on Big Creek, a mile above Niles, are 

 three caves. One is merely a round opening 5 feet in width and 

 height, soon narrowing to a crevice; it would not be mentioned ex- 

 cept that in it was a sandstone slab such as moi-tars are made of. 

 This bore no marks of use ; but it had been carried in for some pur- 

 pose — possibly by white men. 



The second cave, 50 feet from the first, has an entrance 20 feet 

 wide and 4 to 5 feet high. Dry earth extends back for 40 feet ; then 

 come clay and fallen rocks, sloping downward toward the rear. The 

 roof maintains its level as far as followed. No trace of occupation 

 could be found. 



The thifd cave, 150 yards from the second, has an entrance 35 feet 

 wide and 20 feet high. Dry cave earth appears for 20 feet, at which 

 distance it merges with mud containing large rocks. The cavern 

 extends for 50 feet in daylight ; water from the interior spreads over 

 the whole floor to the inner margin of dry earth, where it collects in 

 a little stream which passes out along the foot of one wall. The 

 earth deposit seems to be thin. The only objects that could be found 

 in the cave or about the entrance were a small sandstone slab, un- 

 marked; a small piece of deer bone; and one fragment of shell- 

 tempered pottery. Not a flake of flint was seen. 



These caves are not worth working. 



A fourth of a mile from the cave last mentioned is a rock grave 

 on a ledge which projects at about 40 feet (vertically) below the top 

 of the hill. As near as can be judged, in its present torn-iip condi- 

 tion, the cairn was originally al)out 10 by 20 feet in dimensions; so 

 there were probably two graves covered by the ordinary conical 

 heaps of stone, the depression between them being filled up to form 

 a single cairn. 



SALTPETER CAVE (3) 



Five miles west of Montauk, on Ashley Creek, is a cave noted for 

 having two entrances which are separated by a triangular mass of 

 rock, part of the original formation. This partition measures 30 

 feet across at the face of the bluff and terminates within 20 feet. 

 The principal opening is 90 feet wide and 15 feet high. Dry cave 

 earth extends back 90 feet, at which distance water constantly falls 

 from the roof and flows along the foot of one wall through the minor 



