﻿POLISHED 
  STONE 
  ARTICLES 
  USED 
  BY 
  THE 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  ABORIGINES 
  85 
  

  

  five 
  grooves, 
  and 
  the 
  block 
  is 
  i6 
  by 
  i8 
  inches. 
  One 
  of 
  these 
  grooves 
  

   intersects 
  the 
  rest. 
  They 
  are 
  five 
  eighths 
  wide, 
  and 
  three 
  eighths 
  

   of 
  an 
  inch 
  deep. 
  One 
  of 
  red 
  sandstone, 
  15 
  by 
  18 
  inches, 
  has 
  one 
  

   groove, 
  14 
  inches 
  long, 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  usual 
  width 
  and 
  depth. 
  Some 
  of 
  

   these 
  Pompey 
  stones 
  came 
  from 
  historic 
  sites, 
  and 
  were 
  un- 
  

   doubtedly 
  used 
  within 
  the 
  last 
  three 
  centuries. 
  

  

  A 
  fine 
  one 
  of 
  sandstone, 
  from 
  Yates 
  County^ 
  has 
  three 
  grooves 
  

   about 
  20 
  inches 
  long 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  usual 
  width 
  and 
  depth. 
  Another 
  

   has 
  five 
  grooves, 
  and 
  still 
  others 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  there. 
  Two 
  were 
  

   found 
  in 
  Hector, 
  Tompkins 
  County. 
  One 
  is 
  of 
  slate^ 
  10 
  by 
  10, 
  

   and 
  about 
  three 
  and 
  one 
  half 
  inches 
  thick. 
  It 
  has 
  five 
  grooves 
  

   across 
  the 
  face, 
  which 
  are 
  nearly 
  parallel. 
  Four 
  of 
  these 
  are 
  but 
  

   little 
  over 
  half 
  an 
  inch 
  apart, 
  and 
  are 
  half 
  an 
  inch 
  wide 
  and 
  a 
  quar- 
  

   ter 
  deep. 
  The 
  fifth 
  is 
  a 
  little 
  wider. 
  The 
  other 
  stone 
  is 
  also 
  of 
  slate, 
  

   eight 
  and 
  one 
  half 
  by 
  12 
  inches, 
  and 
  three 
  and 
  one 
  fourth 
  thick. 
  It 
  

   has 
  two 
  grooves, 
  and 
  all 
  these 
  are 
  striated 
  like 
  the 
  rest. 
  

  

  Two 
  more 
  in 
  Pompey 
  are 
  on 
  either 
  side 
  of 
  a 
  stream, 
  and 
  partly 
  

   imbedded 
  in 
  the 
  banks. 
  The 
  exposed 
  part 
  of 
  one 
  is 
  24 
  by 
  30 
  inches, 
  

   and 
  the 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  five 
  grooves 
  are 
  buried 
  in 
  the 
  earth. 
  They 
  are 
  

   nine, 
  16, 
  14, 
  11, 
  and 
  eight 
  and 
  one 
  half 
  inches 
  long. 
  The 
  boulder 
  

   is 
  common 
  limestone. 
  The 
  other 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  west 
  bank 
  of 
  the 
  stream, 
  

   and 
  is 
  of 
  corniferous 
  limestone, 
  partly 
  exposed. 
  Both 
  boulders 
  

   extend 
  into 
  the 
  brook. 
  The 
  exposed 
  part 
  of 
  this 
  is 
  24 
  by 
  30 
  inches, 
  

   and 
  has 
  two 
  grooves, 
  which 
  are 
  nine 
  and 
  10 
  inches 
  long. 
  The 
  

   grooves 
  and 
  striae 
  are 
  carried 
  through 
  the 
  flint 
  nodules 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  

   others, 
  a 
  feature 
  best 
  seen 
  when 
  the 
  stone 
  is 
  wet. 
  

  

  The 
  use 
  of 
  these 
  stones 
  is 
  of 
  interest, 
  and 
  nothing 
  has 
  been 
  sug- 
  

   gested 
  but 
  that 
  of 
  straightening 
  and 
  smoothing 
  arrow 
  shafts, 
  by 
  

   rubbing 
  them 
  in 
  these 
  grooves. 
  There 
  are 
  objections 
  to 
  this, 
  but 
  

   they 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  insuperable. 
  In 
  the 
  case 
  last 
  mentioned, 
  the 
  point- 
  

   ing 
  of 
  the 
  grooves 
  against 
  a 
  steep 
  bank 
  would 
  embarrass 
  arrow 
  

   making, 
  the 
  most 
  convenient 
  position 
  being 
  parallel 
  with 
  the 
  stream. 
  

   If 
  the 
  shaft 
  were 
  long 
  the 
  difficulties 
  would 
  be 
  increased. 
  That 
  

   water 
  and 
  sand 
  were 
  used 
  may 
  be 
  inferred 
  from 
  the 
  parallel 
  striae, 
  

   and 
  the 
  usual 
  position 
  near 
  a 
  stream. 
  That 
  the 
  grooves 
  were 
  made 
  

   with 
  a 
  purpose 
  directly 
  connected 
  with 
  their 
  size, 
  may 
  be 
  inferred 
  

  

  