HARRINGTON ] DESCRIPTION OF THE ARTIFACTS 87 
and exceeded in size only perhaps by our sandstone specimen. The 
other steatite canoe, smaller and more symmetrical, was found intact 
and is one of the handsomest specimens on record. 
An important and very unique specimen is the end fragment of a canoe- 
shaped vessel of gray sandstone, which has the appearance of having been in 
the fire. It fortunately preserves the shape of the end of the rim of this 
vessel, which must have been more than a foot in length. The fragment has a 
maximum diameter of 140.5 mm. The top of the rim is squared and 10 mm. 
wide, making a right angle where it bends at the end of the vessel; 61.5 mm. 
of the rim remains on one side, 39 mm. on the other side. The end of the 
vessel forms a vertical edge 51 mm. long; the thickness of the bottom of the 
vessel is 27 mm. It is unfortunate that no further fragments of this interesting 
sandstone dish were recovered. (Pl. 11, a.) 
Canoe-shaped vessel of somewhat sparkling slate-colored gray steatite. Re 
eovered from scattered fragments. It was possible to piece these fragments 
together so as to reconstruct both ends of the canoe, but three fragments from 
the central portion neither fit together with each other nor are adjacent to the 
end fragments. Therefore, the length of the canoe can not be determined 
with accuracy, but is estimated after careful study to have been about 431.8 mm. 
As reconstructed in Plate 11, 6, it is 451 mm. long. The canoe may have been 
considerably shorter, but if so it was irregularly proportioned and had poorly 
curved lines. Even if the ends which we pieced out are placed touching each 
other, which would be an absurd reconstruction, the structure is over a foot 
long. The specimen is, therefore, as far as I am able to learn, the largest 
steatite canoe taken from Indian graves in southern California. The recon- 
structed length of the sandstone canoe just described above, only one tip of 
which is taken, is conjectural. 
The large end of the canoe measures as follows: 212.7 mm. long, 106.3 mm. 
wide, 98.4 mm. high. The keel is flat, 50.8 mm. wide, 11.1 mm. thick. The 
end of the gunwale projects beyond the end of the keel 53.9 mm. 
The smaller end measures 120.6 mm. long, 92 mm. wide, 95.2 mm. high. The 
keel is flat, as in the larger end fragment, 34.9 mm. wide, 22.2 mm. thick. The 
end of the gunwale projects beyond the end of the keel 50.8 mm. 
The gunwale is squared, 7.9 mm. wide, and a neat groove runs about the 
canoe about 8 mm. below it. In other words, the gunwale is shaped in the same 
manner as the rim of many steatite ollas and bowls. (PI. 11, b.) 
Entire and unbroken canoe-shaped vessel of gray steatite, neatly made and 
very symmetrical; 211.1 mm. long, 77.7 mm. wide. The height of the ends of 
the canoe is 63.5 mm., of the middle of the canoe 57.1 mm. The gunwale is 
squared, 7.9 mm. wide, but no groove runs below it. The bottom is rounding, 
not flat as it is in the large steatite canoe. The central part of the bottom is 
only 7.9 mm. thick. 
STEATITE COMALS 
The comal or steatite slab was a familiar article at the Channel 
Indian household. The hole in the small end was for the purpose of 
inserting the poker stick for handling when heated. It was also the 
hot-water bottle of the Indians; it was heated and laid against the 
paining part. In addition to the fine specimens listed below, we 
obtained many fragments of comals. 
