■XXVIII REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. 



creek is tlie most extensive yet discovered in this eonntry. 

 The ancient excavations extend alono- the crest of the ridsre 

 for several miles. The largest jjits are still 25 feet deep and 

 upward of 100 feet in diameter. The product of this quarry 

 was also leaf-shape blades of the type obtained from the other 

 quarries, and closely analogous in size, shape, and appearance 

 to those of Flint Ridge, Ohio. Mr Holmes next passed north- 

 ward into Stone county, Missouri, to visit a very large cave 

 situated about 20 miles southeast of Helena, the county seat. 

 Neither human remains nor works of native art were found 

 within the cave. The manufacture of chert implements had 

 been carried on extensively in the surrounding region. From 

 Stone county he went to southwestern Minnesota, and spent 

 ten days in the study of the red pipestone quairy so famous 

 in the history of the Coteau des Prairies. Evidence of the 

 prehistoric operation of this quarry Avas found in the series 

 of ancient pits extending across the prairie for nearly a mile 

 in a naiTOw belt and following the outcrop of the thin layer 

 of pipestone. 



The ancient copper mines of Isle Royale, Lake Superior, 

 were next visited and mapj^ed, and extensive collections of 

 stone hammers were obtained from the numerous pits and 

 trenches. 



Mr Holmes afterwai-d proceeded to Little Falls, Minnesota, to 

 examine the locality fi-om which certain flaked quartz objects, 

 supposed to be of paleolithic age, had been obtained. It was 

 found that these bits of quartz were the refuse of the manu- 

 facture of blades of quartz by the aborigines, and at a period 

 of time not necessarily more remote than the period of quarry 

 working already described. 



Mr Cosmos Mindeleff closed the field work on Eio Verde, 

 Arizona, early in July, 1891. An account of this survey was 

 given in the last annual report, and the results are incorporated 

 in this report. He returned to Washington dining the month, 

 and was engaged for the remainder of the fiscal year in office 

 work. 



Mr Gerard Fowke completed the exploration of James river 

 and its northern tributaries, making interesting discoveries in 



