T-EWKEsJ CULTURE AREAS IN THE WEST INDIES 133 



flat, others very thick; some are very small, while others are of 

 enormous size and weight. I have two weighing, respectively, 4 

 kilograms 750 grams and 4 kilograms 775 grams. Some are of 

 very simple construction, merely the natural stone of appropriate 

 form, which a little working transformed into an instrument ; while 

 others, on the contrary, are true masterpieces, which will bear com- 

 parison with those found in Denmark only. The latter are verj?^ rare. 

 They were evidently used for purposes of parade, for it can not be 

 allowed that the author of such a work would have exposed it to be 

 broken at the first shock, thus losing the product of the labor of 

 several months — I might even say of several years. 



" The ax admits of four distinct parts — the head, the neck, the 

 blade, the cutting edge. 



" The head is sometimes round, sometimes flat, sometimes very 

 small, sometimes as large as the blade. Some axes have one or 

 several transverse grooves, some have none at all, others a single longi- 

 tudinal groove. The last are very rare. Pierced axes are very rare. 

 The holes served, if they ofi'er any assistance, to fasten the stone to 

 the handle; if not, to susjDend ornaments. The head played an im- 

 portant part in attaching the ax to the handle, for there can be no 

 doubt that all these axes had handles. The small as well as the 

 large ones were fixed on a wooden handle by means of cords made 

 of cotton or mohot. 



" The neck is more or less lengthened. Sometimes it is formed by 

 lateral notches only, but generally by a circular depression. 



" The blade varies considerably in form, length, and thickness. 

 There is no proportion between it and the other two parts. 



" The edge is more or less distinct. In some axes it is so perfect 

 that one would think they had been sharpened the day before. 



" I have three double-edged axes — two of moderate size, the other 

 very small. I have four axes of which the head is prolonged into 

 a long tail, and which resemble, one of them especially, that which 

 has been termed Montezuma's ax. I have also a certain number, 

 both small and very large, with a slight but decided protuberance on 

 the lower part of one side of the cutting edge, which suggests the idea 

 of a tool appropriated to some special purpose. Finally, I have some 

 axes with the blade curved like that of a cimeter. These are rare. 



" Celts.- — Celts varj' much in form, size, and color. Some are 

 slender with a sharp point, others are massive with a blunt point; 

 some are broad and flat, others narrow and deep; some reach enor- 

 mous proportions, while others are very much reduced in size. 



" Celts are scarcer than axes in Guadeloupe. Most of them are 

 made of a handsomer, harder material than that used for axes, 

 such as serpentine, jade, or jadeite. The fine glazing of the stone, 



