94 Staten Island Association of Arts and Sciences 



above Raritan Bay and the salt meadows surrounding the creek. 

 All over the point of the plateau, and along the northern bluff for 

 some distance are strewn countless bushels of clam and oyster 

 shells, the domestic debris of an ancient Algonquin encampment. 

 A section of this great heap is exposed along the northern bluff 

 and must be plainly visible from the windows of the Pennsylvania 

 railroad trains going to and from Long Branch. 



At the extreme northern end of the site a wooded hill rises to 

 a considerable height, and about the base of this little eminence, 

 shells occur, although how far up the sides they run was not de- 

 termined. South of this hill, and partly upon its southern side, a 

 cultivated field covers what is probably the very thickest and 

 richest part of the shell bed. 



A careful and thorough inspection of this field showed that the 

 thickest part of the heap extended from the edge of the bluff 

 back, about a little more than lOO yards, beyond which it began to 

 thin out, and at a further distance of loo yards few or no shells 

 were to be seen. 



Running back from the middle of the plowed land were several 

 irregular little ridges or knolls, and upon the tops of these and 

 between them the oyster shells were exceedingly thick and abun- 

 dant. Those on the summits of the knolls were composed mainly 

 of whole shells, while in the body of the heap they were mostly 

 broken. A few clam shells occurred here and there, but their 

 numbers were insignificant compared with those of the oyster. 

 On the southerly side of the wooded hill before mentioned the 

 refuse was less thick, although in a number of places large patches 

 of whole shells in the sand indicated pits ; but as the ground was 

 under cultivation none were opened. 



Mr. George H. Pepper stated that some time ago graves were 

 found in this vicinity, though where or by whom he did not state. 

 It is possible that some graves might yet be found on this southerly 

 hillside but, on the whole, prospects are not encouraging. 



Throughout the shell heap the soil has a very rich black aspect, 

 as though from the decay or carbonization of great quantities of 



