CERTAIN ABORIGINAL REMAINS OF THE NW. FLORIDA COAST. 339 



mark of use in a handle ; a large slab of ferruginous sand-stone ; a lancehead of 

 chert, 4 inches long and nearl}- 3 inches in maximum diameter, so rudel}- made that 

 it would seem that mortuary deposits of inferior qualit}', made expressly- for the 

 dead, were not confined to vessels of earthenware. 



We have referred to a curious object of 

 impure kaolin, found by us in the mound near 

 Porter's bar. An object exactly similar in shape, 

 carefully- smoothed and enlarged at either end, 

 about 9.5 inches long, was present in this mound. 

 It, also, has suffered through the chipping off of 

 2)ortions, but not to the same extent as had the 

 other (Fig. 330). As is the case with the other, 

 traces of decoration in low relief are visible in 

 places. This curious object, the second found, 

 ■would seem to belong to a class perhaps of cere- 

 monial batons. It is certain that a material so 

 soft could not have been chosen for any practical 

 use. Dr. H. F. Keller, to whom a part of the 

 object was submitted for analysis, writes : " It 

 consists of an intimate mixture of kaolin and 

 finely-divided silica. The constituents are silica, 

 alumina, oxide of iron, moisture, and traces of 

 magnesia. A rough determination of the silica 

 yielded 75%;, which is 27% in excess over the 

 amount present in pnre kaolinite. The propor- 

 tion of iron, too, is considerable. LTnder the lens 

 the powdered substance appears quite homogene- 

 ous, but under higher powei's it shows crystalline 

 particles of two kinds, as well as dark specks." 



There was also in the mound a rectangular 

 mass, seemingly- of clayey material, with rounded 

 corners and a small groove at either end. about 6 

 inches long. 



The earthenware in this mound did not lie in 

 black sand, nor was there any general mortuary- 

 deposit, four vessels together in the southern mar- 

 gin being the nearest approach to one. 



The ware, in mai'ked contrast to that of the 

 neighboring mound. Avas of poor quality and un- 

 decorated or bore the complicated stamp, as a rule. 

 Incised decoration was encountered in three instan- 

 ces onlv, among tlie forty vessels noted by us, 

 and in each case the work was unambitious and careless in execution. 



Fig. 330.— Object of kaolin, lirovnid B. War 

 rior river. (About five-sevenths size.) 



