106 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 76 



they lost their hmterns and made the remainder of the journey in 

 absolute darkness, feeling their way along the walls, dragging or 

 carrying the craft over shallows, and at one place lying flat in the 

 l^ottom and propelling the boat by applying hands and feet to the 

 roof, which was less than a foot above the water. 



MARTIN COUXTY 



Various caves are reported in the vicinity of Shoals. Those whose 

 location was clearly given are merely " rock houses " or recesses in 

 the Carboniferous conglomerate bluffs bordering the east fork of 

 White Eiver. Some of them would make fairly good shelters, but 

 all which can now be examined are at so low a level that the river 

 gets into them or very close to them in flood periods. Consequently 

 there is no probability that ancient remains are to be found in them. 

 Some of the shelters higher up on the cliffs may have been utilized, 

 but the bottom of these is now covered with huge blocks, some weigh- 

 ing a hundred tons. It is true that such rock houses, in all parts of 

 the country, were regular resorts for modern Indians, and they prob- 

 ably furnished shelter to the earliest inhabitants of this region, no 

 matter how remote the period of occupation. But owing to their 

 open front and the exposed situation of most of them, it is quite pos- 

 sible that the wind may remove the fine material falling from roof 

 and sides almost as fast as it is deposited. At any rate the debris 

 on the floors is seldom more than 3 or 4 feet deep, and articles very 

 plainly of no great age are frequently found at all levels in it. 



In a few places along the river bluffs limestone crops out beneath 

 the sandstone, and springs occasionally appear along the line of 

 junction, eroding small cavities, but these are subject to overflow, 

 and none of them has an opening large enough to enter without 

 crawling. 



ORANGE COUNTY 



Vicinity of Paoli. — From this town six caves were visited, all 

 that could be located by diligent inquiry. None of them has any 

 particular designation except " Mill Cave," which is so named be- 

 cause the stream issuing from it furnishes power for a flour mill. 

 The water covers the floor at all seasons. 



One, though quite small, could have been occupied at a former 

 period, but the roof and front fell in some years ago, entirely clos- 

 ing it. 



A third has a small entrance on a hillside. A steep and rough 

 descent was followed beyond reach of daylight without coming to 

 a level bottom. 



The other three are very small with rock bottoms. 



