-44 BULLETIN UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



multitude and variety of mollusks and fishes. But as water is distant, 

 the nearest being found only in a spring on the other side of the ridge, 

 about two miles to the northeastward from the cave, not considering the 

 climb, I was not surprised to find all these shell-deposits, with but two 

 exceptions, the remaining witnesses of a temporary camp of those people 

 who came here from the other side of the island to supply themselves 

 with fish and mollusks. The largest shell-mound close to the cove is sur- 

 rounded by a fence for a sheep-fold in the time of wool-clip, and we can no 

 longer find any signs of houses or graves, although much of the character- 

 istic material which stamps such places as permanent settlements, such 

 as water-worn rocks, flint chips, whale-bones, &c., is found. About a 

 mile's walk along the shore to the eastward, we found two shell-mounds 

 moderate in circumference, but considerable in height. We found graves 

 on the eastern shell-mound. They were, strange to say, dug in the sites, 

 or depressions, of former houses, three of which contained skeletons. It 

 seems that this shell-mound was the first deserted, and was afterward used 

 for a burying- ground (for which the depressions of the houses suited), to the 

 neglect of the older cemetery, which could be traced, by several remaining 

 skeletons, near the brink of the bight adjacent to the graves. The kjok- 

 kenmoddiugs, as we had occasion to observe them at Tinker's Cove, 

 Coche Prieto, Los Alamos, and especially here, appear to be located on 

 a sand-bank built by the hands of the aborigines. If the underlying 

 bank had been built by drifts, the winds, in connection with the adjoin, 

 ing sand-beach, would have caused a different shape, if not a different 

 location, of the bank, as it occurs at the above-named places, or would 

 leave traces of its action beyond the limits of the shell-deposits, which is 

 not the case here. This observation was made only on settlements 

 where the ground is rocky. About five miles to the eastward, at the 

 mouth of Caiiada del Pozo, but difficult to reach by land on account of 

 its rough topography, is reported an extensive shell-mound, which I 

 readily noticed from the steamer, but, as a landing is not possible at all 

 times, we were prevented from visiting it. On the north side of the 

 mainland, between Punta Diablo and the spring near the west end, may 

 doubtless be found some graves among the many shell-mounds, although 

 most of them, especially those located on high slopes, served as tempo- 

 rary camping-grounds. Between the two before-mentioned places, at the 

 shore, and water-mark, a cave is reported, "filled with human bones 

 and curious implements". I was able to trace the report to a fisherman, 

 who pretended to have discovered the cave by accident. In considera- 

 tion of the great work required to search all the indentations of a most 

 irregular and dangerous shore at least eight miles in length, accessible 

 only by boat, where the cliffs and innumerable cave-like recesses form 

 such picturesque sights, and spuming, thundering spout-holes reveal 

 hidden abysses, I thought it wise to offer a reward for his guidance to 

 the cave, but even after I had doubled the amount, which was more 

 than a week's good luck in fishing, he failed to put in an appearance 



