FEWKEsi CULTURE AKEAS IN THE WEST INDIES 83 



1-igines, but the larger number occur either in the tahis of earth in 

 front of these caves or the hills above, being rarely found in the 

 floors. The best ma-de of these caves are situated on the northern 

 end of the island, in St. Lucy's Parish, at Mount Gilboa, but there 

 are many natural cave shelters in the gulches so characteristic of 

 Bermudian geology. 



JIOUNT GlLBOA CA^'ES 



Mount Gilboa is a conspicuous hill when seen from St. Lucy's 

 church or rectory, and resembles the precipitous promontories so 

 common in countries where tliere are evidences of great erosion. A 

 double line of caves, situated one above the other, can readily be 

 approached from the neigiiljoring road. From a distance they re- 

 minded the author of the cavate houses of the Rio Verde in Arizona. 

 Although the walls of these entrances are more or less broken, there 

 was in one instance a rude step cut in the stone floor. A large field of 

 sugar cane, in the soil of which a few fragments of Indian pottery 

 were found, covered the top of the cliif. 



The traces of artificial steps cut at the entrance of the Indian 

 caves at Mount Gilboa indicate a former occupancy, and the tradi- 

 tion current in the neighborhood assigns them to the Indians. Re- 

 garding specimens of aboriginal handiwork found in the Gilboa 

 caves. Rev. Griffith Hughes says: "Till they came to a large con- 

 venient Cave under an Hill, called Mount Gilboa, in the estate of 

 Colonel John Pickering ; where I found several of their broken 

 Images, Pipes. Hatchets, and Chissels." ^'' A negro woman, who 

 lives in the plain near the caves, told the author that shell chisels had 

 been found within her memory on the talus below the caves and the 

 author picked up a fragment of a bowl of aboriginal make near by. 



Artificial Excav.vtions 



The artificial excavations in Barbados ascribed to the aborigines 

 are more or less problematical. They differ in form and character 

 from natural caves and their true nature is not known. They are 

 not accepted as aboriginal work by all historians. 



The three supposed aboriginal excavations visited by the author 

 are: (1) Indian Castle; (2) Indian excavations at Freshwater Bay; 

 (3) Indian excavations at Indian River. 



INDIAN CASTLE 



The so-called Indian Castle is situated northeast of Speightstown, 

 on the Pleasant Hill property, aliout 3 miles due east of Six Men's 



'" Hughes, op. cit., p. 7. 



