146 CERTAIN SAND MOUNDS OF 



It will be remembered that we have historical record of Mt. Royal nearly one 

 and one-quarter centuries ago, and at that period live oaks three feet in diameter 

 grew upon it. While we know that testimony as to age deduced from oaks is 

 less reliable than that derived from the family of firs, yet few will deny that live 

 oaks of this size point to a considerable number of } r ears for development, possibly 

 to a time previous to the Spanish and Huguenot occupation. 



We have, however, stronger evidence of antiquity than this. At the present 

 writing (1894) but a fractional portion of the mound remains untouched, while the 

 greater portion has been handled twice, and in part four times by men so thor- 

 oughly trained and stimulated to such vigilance that, in the rebuilding of the mound, 

 no objects were met with beyond two arrow heads and the handle of a vase. 



In all these weeks of work during which, as we have seen, hundreds of objects 

 were discovered, not one was brought to light in any way indicating a knowledge 

 of Europeans. It is simply out of the question to suppose that the rich tribe that 

 piled up Mt. Royal possessed the knives, the beads, the hawk-bells, and brass-ware 

 of Europe without placing them in the burial mound with the dead ; and, without 

 hesitation, we positively assert that Mt. Royal and all its contents date from a 

 period prior to the landing of the Whites. 



Sand Mound Neak Duval's, Lake County. 



This mound, two or three hundred yards back of Duval's Landing, on Blue 

 Creek, was partially investigated by us last year. It must not be confounded with 

 the mound in the pine woods two miles west, the demolition of which is described 

 in Part I. 



With a considerable force of men the mound at Duval's was attacked on all 

 sides during portions of three days, and dug through at a level somewhat below 

 the base. 



As before, numerous skulls and long bones filled with roots were met with, and 

 in addition, at a depth to insure originality of deposit, were two polished hatchets of 

 stone found separately, and in association with each other an arrowhead and a drill. 



The feature of this mound was the earthenware. 



About two feet below the surface was a small undecorated bowl with base 

 perforation conferred by fracture subsequent to baking. 



Three feet from the surface in the southern slope of the mound and at that 

 point not far distant from the base, near an isolated cranium, lay an imperforate 

 vessel 1*5 inches high, with a maximum diameter of 3 - 2 inches. From one side of 

 the margin projected an animal's head, to serve as a handle (Plate XXI, Fig. 3). 



This type, so well. known in Missouri and Arkansas, where the ware is supe- 

 rior to that of Florida, is also a familiar pattern in the stone graves of Tennessee, 

 where the material is still better. The tj'pe, though not unknown in Florida, is of 

 infrequent occurrence, and serves to illustrate the curious medley met with in the 

 Peninsula— this pocket of the United States. 



