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 probab] y 
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 Bend, of the Merced River, in October, 1869, 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, five inches long 
and one and a half broad, quite regularly formed. ; 
At Hornitos and in No. 1 Gulch, five miles northeast of Hornitos, stone implements are reported 
to have been found at various times, in considerable number, and particularly in the year 1864. 
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- 
