88 THE ABORIGINES OF PORTO RICO [eth. ann. 23 



Maaati, on the north coast of the island. This is one of several 

 large caverns in that neigh})orhood, all of wliich show many signs of 

 former Indian presence. It is large and opens laterally, with the 

 entrance looking over the sea across a narrow strip of beach, a shel- 

 tered cove and landing place which maj' have served Carib or others 

 as a safe harbor for their canoes or an eas}' incline should they desire to 

 haul them up on the shore. The strip of land between the cave entrance 

 and the shore is fertile, yielding the present owner a remunerative 

 yearlv crop. The face of the cliH', in the side of which this and neigh- 

 boring caves are eroded, is perpendicular, and can not be scaled near 

 the cavern entrance. 



This cave is about 50 feet deep, the overhanging clitl' being aliout 

 30 feetabove the floor; its width at the entrance is about 100 feet. It 

 is evident that since this cave had been used by man what was once 

 the edge of the overhanging roof had broken otf in sections and fallen 

 to the floor, partially closing the entrance to the cave. Trees of con- 

 siderable size grow just before the entrance, partially concealing it 

 from the level strip of land a few feet below. This breaking of the 

 edge is due in part to erosion, but largely to roots of trees on the cliti' 

 above. These agencies have detached stones of considerable size ; but it 

 is clear that the stones have fallen since the cave was used, for frag- 

 ments of Indian pottery were found in the soil at the mouth of the 

 cave. Much of the surface of the cavern is covered with a layer of 

 stalagma, and stalactites are still being formed ))y a continual dripping 

 of water from the wall of the overhanging clifl's. 



The floor of the cave is composed of a soft soil, easily excavated, 

 showing evidences of human occupation to the deptli of 10 feet. 

 Before the arrival of the author otlier investigators had made excava- 

 tions in the floor, but so far as he could learn these diggings were 

 made, not for scientific purposes but for supposed concealed treasures. 

 Several of the peons employed by these gold seekers worked for the 

 author also, and according to their stories no treasure of any kind was 

 found. The workmen declared, however, that ominous voices pro- 

 ceeding from the clifls and threatening intruders with death should 

 they disturb further the cave floor led them to abandon tlieir former 

 work. Of course they heard no such voices in their work for the 

 author, when they received their wages at the close of each day. 



The floor of this cave was excavated by making a trench across the 

 entrance just within the fallen stones above referred to, working into 

 the cave and outward from it toward the sea. The soil was found to 

 be full of fragments of pottery, charred wood and ashes, shells, and 

 worked bone objects. No European objects or other evidences of 

 Spanish contact were found. The excavations weie carried down to 

 the hard stalagma that forms the foundation on which rests the soil 

 containing artificial remains. At one or two points the stalagma was 



