354 CERTAIN ANTIQUITIES OF THE FLORIDA WEST-COAST. 



property of Mr. R. Strada, of St. Petersburg, Fla., who refused permission to dig. 

 Thickly covered by palmettoes, is a mound marked A on the plan (Fig. 1), appar- 

 ently of sand and shell, now having a small frame cabin on the summit. This 

 mound, which is referred to by Mr. S. T. Walker, 1 nearly circular as to outline of 

 base, has a diameter at base of a little over 100 feet. The height is 10 feet above 

 the general level. 



From the southern side of the mound a broad ridge of shell (B) connects the 

 mound with another ridge (C) running parallel to the water. The remainder of 

 the base is surrounded by an excavation from 1 to 2 feet in depth below the general 

 level, though seemingly much deeper when looked down upon from ridges adjacent 

 to the mound. In a westerly direction from the mound is a curious ridge (D), TOO 

 feet long, running in a northeast by easterly and southwest by westerly direction, 

 with a maximum height of 6 feet 9 inches and a maximum breadth of 70 feet. This 

 causeway does not seem to be a deposit of shell, formed during aboriginal occupa- 

 tion, but rather built for a purpose, as parts of it are of shell and sand mingled ; 

 parts, shell and sand side by side ; parts, all sand. Beginning near the northeastern 

 terminus of the ridge another causeway (E), mainly of sand, extends about 250 

 feet in a southerly direction where it turns to the east, having approached at this 

 point within 50 feet of the ridge (C), which leaves the southern side of the mound. 

 The area enclosed between these ridges is about 1 foot 3 inches below the general 

 level, and doubtless furnished material for the causeways. 



Beginning with, and nearly at right angles to, the shell ridges (C) fronting the 

 water, about 500 feet in a westerly direction from the principal mound, two embank- 

 ments (F, G) extend in a northerly direction about 500 feet, terminating at a mound 

 of sand (H) about 3 feet 6 inches above the general level and 55 feet across the 

 base, approximately. The embankments converge from 131 feet between them 

 where they leave the shell ridge to 17 feet where they join the mound. 



The westernmost causeway is well defined ; is of sand, where excavations were 

 made ; is from 35 feet to 53 feet in breadth and 1 foot 6 inches in height. The 

 eastern embankment is less well marked and merges, on the other side, with the 

 surrounding country. Two excavations of moderate size were made in the sand 

 mound ; one without result ; the other yielding human remains, badly decayed, 

 just below the surface. 



The space included between the ridges varies from 2 feet 8 inches to 1 foot in 

 depth, and has somewhat the appearance of a canal. Presumably the removal of 

 material for the ridges is responsible for the depression. 



In the territory back of Point Maximo are other embankments of considerable 

 size which were not investigated by us through refusal- of permission by the owner. 

 Numerous small shell ridges not included in the plan lie to the east of mound A 

 back of shell ridge C. 



1 Smithsonian Report, 1879, p. 404. 



