



HUMAN .REMAINS IN THE GRAVELS. 



261 



have not, thus far, proved to be sufficiently common to make it worth while 

 to give up to such an undertaking the amount of time which would probably 

 be necessary to insure success. It was believed that a better result would 

 be secured by collecting a large body of reputed facts, even if observed by 

 others, than by watching at any one locality in the hope that something of 

 interest would turn up. The principal difficulties in the way of such a course 

 have already been sufficiently hinted at. When very important discoveries 

 have been made, as in the case of the * Calaveras skull," the locality has been 

 visited and carefully examined in order that the geological conditions of the 

 occurrence might be fully comprehended. 



With these preliminary remarks we proceed to lay before the reader the 

 facts which have been collected, mentioning them in geographical order. 

 While thus going as a general rule rapidly over the ground, certain special 

 occurrences deemed to be of more importance than the others, for reasons 

 which will be given, will be taken up and enlarged upon, as full details as 

 possible being presented. Finally, the probable bearing of the whole mass 

 of evidence with regard to the occurrence of remains of man, as well as of 

 other animals, will be briefly summed up, leaving a more complete general 

 discussion for a future chapter of this volume. 



At this point it will be proper to mention the valuable services rendered 

 in the collection of evidence bearing on the antiquity of man in California, 

 by Mr. C. D. Voy, who partly in the employ of the Geological Survey, but 

 chiefly as a volunteer, travelled over the State at intervals during several 

 years, investigating and gathering materials in this department. His ample 

 collections at present belong to the University of California, where they may 

 be examined by those interested, and where quite a number of the most 

 important objects mentioned in the succeeding pages will be found. 



MARIPOSA COUNTY. 



At Horse-Shoe Bond, of the Merced River, in October, 18G9, mastodon bones were found at 

 a depth of twelve feet beneath the surface. In the immediate vicinity were numerous human 

 bones, none of which were preserved. Stone implements, however, were obtained, and one of them 

 is preserved in Mr. Voy's collection. It is a spear or lance head of obsidian, live inches long 

 and one and a half broad, quite regularly formed. 



At Hornitos and in No. 1 Gulch, live miles northeast of Hornitos, stone implements are reported 

 to have been found at various times, in considerable number, and particularly in the year 18G4. 

 Mortars were the articles chiefly found. Accompanying these were bones of the elephant and 

 horse ; and also, as is supposed, of some species allied to the camel; but they have not been pre- 

 served. The depth at which these various articles were found is reported at fifteen feet. 



About the year 1863, in some mining claims near Princeton, a considerable number of interest- 



