CHAP. XIV. 



POTTERY WHISTLES. 



281 



Amongst the less common forms there are treble pots like that 

 represented on page 279. As the grouped parts are all connected 

 internally, these can hardly have been family cruet-stands. They 

 were apparently intended to hold liquids, and it is difficult to see 

 what advantage can have been derived from this manner of con- 

 struction. Double and treble pots were numerous in Imbabura ; 

 though I brought home few, for the reason which will appear 

 presently. 



INDIAN MUSICAL WHISTLES. 



Then there are the musical pottery whistles — delightfully ugly 

 things, which are sometimes more useful to carry than letters of 

 introduction. Simple airs can be got out of them, and on the 

 homeward journey my people lightened the way by playing on 

 these primitive instruments. 



The most interesting, artistically, of all the objects in pottery 

 which were obtained in Ecuador have been called ^ vase-busts ^ by 

 Mr. Ewbank. In the Eeport on Tlie U.S. Naval Astronomical 

 Expedition, from which I have already quoted, he gave a bad 

 representation of an object of this class; saying (in 1856), ^'^it is 

 supposed there are not over two or three extant. ^^ The four 



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