192 G. F. BECKER — ANTIQUITIES FROM TABLE MOUNTAIN. 



At a distance of between 1,400 and 1,500 feet from the mouth of the tunnel, or of 

 between 200 and 300 feet beyond the edge of the solid lava, Mr. Neale saw several 

 spear-heads, of some dark rock and nearly one foot in length. On exploring further, 

 he himself found a small mortar three or four inches in diameter and of irregular 

 shape. This was discovered within a foot or two of the spear-heads. He then found 

 a large, well-formed pestle, now the property of Dr. K. I. Bromley, and near by a large 

 and very regular mortar, also at present the property of Dr. Bromley. 



All of these relics were found the same afternoon, and were within a few feet of one 

 another and close to the bed-rock, perhaps within one foot of it. 



Mr. Neale declares it utterly impossible that these relics can have reached the posi- 

 tion in which they were found excepting at the time the gravel was deposited, and 

 before the lava cap formed. There was not the slightest trace of any disturbance of 

 the mass or of any natural fissure into it by which access could have been obtained, 

 either there or in the neighborhood. 



And Mr. J. H. Neale declares upon his oath that the foregoing statement is in 

 every respect true. 



John H. Neale. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this second day of August, 1890. 



Edwin A. Eggers, 



Nota7"y Public. 



The larger mortar aud the pestle referred to in this statement are illus- 

 trated in the accompanying plate 7, which is a photo-mechanical reproduc- 

 tion (by the Moss process) of a photograph of the objects, one-third natural 

 size. The rock of which the mortar is made is andesite. 



It would have been more satisfactory to me individually if I had myself 

 dug out these implements, but I am unable to discover any reason why Mr. 

 locale's statement is not exactly as good evidence to the rest of the world as 

 my own would be. He was as competent as I to detect any fissure from the 

 surface or any ancieut workings, which the miner recognizes instantly and 

 dreads profoundly. Some one may possibly suggest that Mr. Neale's work- 

 men "planted" the implements, but no one familiar with mining will enter- 

 tain such a suggestion for a moment. No workman would dream of plant- 

 ing so large a number of implements, even to deceive a visitor, and he could 

 conceal them only in broken ground. The auriferous gravel is hard pick- 

 ing, in large part it requires blasting, aud even a very incompetent superin- 

 tendent could not possibly be deceived in this way. 



It has sometimes been objected to the authenticity of the discoveries of 

 implements in the gravels that the finders, with the exception of Dr. H. H. 

 Boyce, were miners and not scientific men. Now, so far as the detection of 

 a fraud is concerned, a good miner regularly employed in superintending the 

 workings would be much more competent than the average geological visitor. 

 The superintendent sees day by day every foot of new ground exposed, and 

 it is his business to become thoroughly acquainted with its character, while 

 he is familiar with every device for " salting " a claim. The geological vis- 



