140 THE ABORIGINES OF PORTO RICO [eth. anx. 25 



in a state of at-tion. The .shoulders are pierced posteriorly to allow 

 of the suspension of the amulet." 



Dr J. E. Duerden" thus writes of amulets from Jamaica: 



In 1879 Mr ('. P. O'R. de !Montagnao discovered two f^mall stone images on some 

 recently diRturl:)ed ground at Rennock Lodge, situated on a small plateau at a height 

 of about 400 feet up the Long mountahi. They were associated with accumulations 

 of marine shells and fragments of pottery, such as are met with on the top of the hill 

 at Weireka. The larger is a neatly carved representation of a human' head and 

 neck, and is perforated behind for suspension. It is 2J inches long and If inches 

 from ear to ear; the body below the neck has lieen broken off. The material is a 

 soft (Tystalline limestone, scratching readily with a knife, and forms a marble of a 

 grayish or slightly greeiush color, such as ia found in various parts of the island, 

 especially at the eastern end. The ujiper part of the head bears some resemblance 

 to that figured in Stephen's Flint Chips (p. 227, fig. 6), occurring on the top of 

 a carved stone pestle found in Haiti. The nose, chin, eyes, and ears are clearly dis- 

 tinguished; the perforation is one-fourth inch in diameter and extends for 1] inches 

 through the upper part of the neck. 



The smaller object is 1 4- inches long, and is likewise incomplete below. Though 

 made of the same kind of stone, the figure is of a different shape, the facial charac- 

 ters not being well pronounced. It is broken at the sides, but there is a suggestion 

 that arms were represented raised high as the shoulders, such as is shown in the 

 Latimer collection, figure 32 . . . These two objects, so far as the Museum col- 

 lections show, are the only ones belonging to this group of aboriginal relics hitherto 

 found in Jamaica, though . . . somewhat similar examples are known from other 

 parts of tlie West Indies. 



Duerden follows Mason in reo-arding- these o})j'ects as fi-outal amulets 

 and quotes Peter ^Martyr's reference to the small idols which the 

 nativ^es tied to their foreheads. "'The}' were probably worn." writes 

 Duerden, "or carried about the person and intended to act aN cliarms 

 or preservatives against evil or mischief." 



Many pre-Columbian amulets were seen in Santo Domingo and Porto 

 Rico during- the author's recent visit, several of which ditier from any 

 of those figured by the writers quoted above. Although this article 

 is written more especially to describe these new and unusual forms, 

 others are included which closel}' resemble the amulets already consid- 

 ered by those authors. Some of the perforated fetishes or amulets of 

 the Antilleans had human or animal shapes; others were stones of unu- 

 sual forms, not yet identified. With the limited material available it 

 would be premature to claim more than a provisional classification of 

 West Indian amulets at the present time, but of tho.se having human 

 form there are two types which are readily recognized. In addition 

 to these two types there are other forms representing animals, as 

 frogs, reptiles, and birds. 



The first of the two types is characterized by the arms and hands 

 being raised to the ears or above the head. This unusual attitude 

 oc(nirs also in relief images on the rims of earthenware ves.sels and in 



<i .Vljoriginal Indian Kem!iin.s in Jamaica. Jnunml nf the Institute of Jamaica, 11, no. 4, p. 44, .luly, 1897. 



