100 



THE ABORIGIXES OF PORTO KICO 



Mr Walton tirids in them repi'esentations of the lingani and _yoni of 

 ])hallioism. and Sefior Poey enters into an elal)orate discussion of 

 this theory. It seems unnecessary to consider these objects anything 

 more than decorated pestles or paint grinders, although the more 

 highly cai'ved specimens may have had a place in household worship. 

 Their decorations undoubtedly represent certain mythic human or 

 animal personages, but we can hardly believe that the o})jects served as 

 idols. The archbishop's collection from Santo Domingo contains many 

 very line specimens of these objects. 



The ela))orately decorated pestle shown iu tiguic .") was found in a cave 

 at Cotui. Santo Domingo. l)y Sefior Teotilo Corderu. and was exhibited 



in the Historical Expositioil of 1892, 

 in Madrid, where it was regarded as 

 one of the finest known specimens of 

 Antillean stoneworking. This speci- 

 men is made of black vock and is 

 about 10 inches high. On the upper 

 extremity of the handle there is a 

 tigure elaborateU' carved, with human 

 face, body, and limbs, suggesting an 

 idol. 



Plate XXIV {</. h) rei)resents one of 

 the best pestles of the archbishop's 

 collection from Santo Domingo. It 

 diti'ers from all others in having at 

 tlie end of the handle a complete figure 

 I if a human ]>eing lying on its back, 

 with tiie face uppermost and the legs 

 retracted. This tigure has well-cut 

 eyes, nose, and ears, and, when seen 

 from the top of the iiandle. it will 

 be noted that the arms also arc 

 represented, the hands resting upon 

 the kneesf. The handle of the pes- 

 tle is short, the lens angular and 



Fk. ") Sloiii- p.--tl.- frnm S::iilo IioTiiiiif;ii. ^, 



smooth. 

 The same plate (xxiv, r, <l) shows a more slender pestle, having a 

 double ferrule at the points of attachment of lens and handle, but the 

 groove which imparts the double form to this ferrule is not continuous, 

 being broken at one place, where there is an incised line at right angles 

 to the groove of the ferrule. The handle is slightly swollen midway in 

 its length. The head and body of the tigure on the handle are well 

 carved, the former Ix'ing placed vertically on one side, the Ijody extend- 

 ing over the top and the legs hanging down on the side diametrically 

 opposite the face. It will thu^ be seen that the tigure lies on the ventral 



