404 THE POZO STONE. 



archaeology one must do the same. Thus to understand the stone 

 the visitor must know something about its archaeological, geological, 

 and recent histories. 



By the recent I mean its history until it arrived here. In this 

 connection I am indebted to Mr. Harvey for these facts. " Several 

 inscribed stones, about six, were at the foot of a hill about a league 

 from Pozo al Monte. The rocks of the hill had figures of a hand- 

 distaff, a fish, and some curious geometrical figures made on them, 

 supposed to be signs to the traveller of the direction to be taken to 

 go to the sea coast. This hill is about 4,000 feet above the sea, and 

 from it many mummies have been taken, chiefly in a sitting posture, 

 holding a vicuna-wool sack containing about half-a-pint of maize 

 and some bone hooks, made apparently for catching fish. The 

 stone sent is the best and plainest figured. The next best rolled off 

 the railway car and struck on a rail, which partly obliterated the 

 inscriptions. The railway passes about a mile from the foot of the 

 hill from where the stone was rolled, over four planks, by placing 

 two abreast and moving ahead in rotation. About twelve men took 

 four days to do this. It was then rolled up an inclined plank on to 

 a railway truck, and from thence taken to the railway landing stage 

 at Iquique, 42 miles distant, and lifted by a steam crane into a 

 launch, and from the launch on board a sailing ship which touched 

 at Falmouth for orders and there landed the stone. The other 

 remaining stones were taken by some German geologists, who 

 were making a scientific report of the Lesser Andes for the Chilian 

 Government. One stone, much smaller than the one in the Truro 

 Museum, is in the Government Museum at Santiago." 



This recent history, so succinctly put by Mr. Harvey, authenti- 

 cates his valuable gift. From the locality where found, Pozo al 

 Monte, or "well of the hill side," and for brevity, I have named 

 the stone in the Museum "The Pozo Stone." 



The physical geological history of the stone is perplexingly 

 difficult, especially as one has to speak about conditions one has 

 never lived under, and it is especially hard for those who live in 

 Cornwall to realise a land without rain, but the track of country 

 from whence the stone was brought is rainless. " Although within 

 the zone of the south-east trades, the whole coast district of Peru 

 and Northern Chile lacks the moisture necessary for vegetation. 



