68 . ISLAND CULTURE AREA OF AMERICA [eth. axn. 34 



Cuba and the Bahamas, but wliile there is general similarity in the 

 product, there are very marked specific differences. 



The several beautiful specimens of pottery in the Victoria Institute 

 at Port of Spain. Trinidad, two of which, through the kindness of 

 the oiBcers of that institution, were photographed, have been repro- 

 duced by the author,^^ who has quoted the description in the ap- 

 pendix in Collens's Guide to Trinidad, here reprinted, as it contains 

 practically all that has been published on the archeology of Trinidad : 



" The discovery of some interesting Indian relics at Erin during 

 the past month (May, 1888) is, although I had brought my work to 

 an end, of sufficient importance to demand a brief notice. On the 

 occasion of a recent visit of his Excellency Sir W. Kobinson and 

 suite to the southern quarter of the island, the Hon. H. Fowler, who 

 was one of the party, observed a mound of shells. Dismounting, a 

 closer inspection revealed some pieces of rude pottery, and subsequent 

 excavations by Mr. A. Newsam, the Warden, led to the unearthing of 

 some capital specimens, indicating beyond a doubt this had been the 

 centre, at some period more or less remote, of an Indian settlement. 

 The pottery is of two kinds, glazed "'^ and unglazed, the latter dating 

 back to a time anterior to the discovery of the New World, for the art 

 of glazing was unknown to the early Indians, nor is it likely that they 

 became acquainted with it till after the Spanish occupation." 



The following specimens are figured by Collens: 



" Figure 1. A hollow stone, smooth in the concave part, forming a 

 rude mortar. The Indians used a hard, smooth pebble for pounding 

 their seeds and grains. 



" Figures 2, 3, 4. Heads of animals in burnt clay, more or less gro- 

 tesquely shaped. The eyes and mouth are exaggerated, a few, broad, 

 bold lines serving to bring out the most striking features. In figure 

 4 the head of the monkey is fantastically crowned. All these were 

 probably deities or ornamental attachments to earthen vessels. 



" Figure 5. A well-shaped squirrel. Perhaps a toy whistle. 



" Figure 6. An earthen bowl in fine preservation, about the size 

 of an ordinary vegetal)le dish. Witli the lid, whicli is unfortimately 

 missing, there would doubtless be a good representation of a turtle : 

 as it is, the head and tail are clearly, and the limbs somewhat clumsily, 

 shown." 



The best entire vessel found by the author in his excavations at 

 the Erin Bay midden is the shapely brown vase shown in plate 2, .4. 

 This receptacle was buried 2i feet beneath the surface, in a thick 

 layer composed wholly of shells. Its association and situation show 

 no indication that it was deposited with care, and it could not have 



»' Aborigines of Porto Rico. Twpnty-flfth Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., pi. Ixxxv. 

 "-' The author regrets that he ran not support Mr. CoUens's statement that glazed 

 pottery occurs in the Chip-chip mound. 



